mē that they maye se your good workes But why is thys see of glasse lykened to Crystall Surely bycause Crystall is a water whych by continuaunce of tyme is tourned into the hardenes of a stone suche ones ought they that be baptised to be brought vnto that is to saye stronge and harde in faythe By the .iiii. beastes full of eyes before and behynde some do vnderstande the .iiii. Euangelistes other whose iugemente better agreeth to the scripture as it semeth do vnderstande those heauenly and ministratoriouse spirites or angels whych be appoynted to stande at the foure quarters of heauen by whych the kyngdome of Christ that is Heb. ij the church is spred to execute the thynges that be determined by the vnserchable and eternall counsayle of God to be done in mens thynges These be full of eyes before and behynde that is to say they be replenyshed wyth the science and knowlege of thinges passed and thinges to come And the fyrst beast was lyke a Lyon the seconde lyke a Calfe the thyrd had a face like a Man and the fourth was lyke a flyenge Egle. Brethren ye shall vnderstande that in a lyon is courage and strength in a calfe laboure and diligence in the face of a man prudence and ryght iudgement in an egle swyftnes and also facilitie in doynge theyr ministeries al whych vertues they haue nede of ☜ whych wol administre well and prosperously any kyngdome And for thys cause in the psalmes the Lorde is said to syt and ryde vpon Cherubim bycause that by them he executeth hys iudgementes couragiously diligētly prudently and wyth great swyftnes To thys interpretaciō doth the scripture agre For the prophete Ezechiel in the .x. chapter doth vnderstande by the .iiii. beastes the Cherubim and he maketh also the foure beastes one hauynge yet foure faces or formes for the forsayde vertues wherwyth those ministrynge spirites whose seruice Christ vseth in the administracion of hys kyngdome were indowed In that they haue syxe wynges a pece is betokened theyr swyftnes of obedience to execute the thynges that they be appoynted vnto Esa vi In lyke maner doth Esay describe Seraphim These āgels or yf ye lyst these foure Euangelistes whych also be angels that is to say messangers by whome Christ the greate conquerour of the aduerse powers is caryed throughe out the hole worlde as it were in a triumphall charette haue no rest neyther day nor nyght but crye without ceasing Holy ☞ holy holy that is to saye holy father holy sonne and holy spirite comforter one Lorde God almyghty Math. xxviij in whose name all we that beleue be baptised And whan those beastes gaue glorye honoure and thankes to hym that sate on the seate whych lyueth for euer and euer the .xxiiii. elders of whom mēcion is made before fel also downe before him which sate on the trone and worshypped hym that lyueth for euer Now therfore good christen people syth those holy spirites or angels and the hole quere and church triumphant in heauen do wythout ceasynge laude prayse and magnifye the hygh maiestye of the Godheade let not vs whych be the churche or congregacion militant here in erth be behynde wyth our prayses cōmendacions and thankesgyuynge The holy angels do crye before let vs answere in the same note saye Holy father holy sonne holy goost cōforter Let vs I saye accordynge to the exemple of the .xxiiii. elders cast oure crownes before the trone that is to saye confesse the crownes and rewardes whyche we that be iustifyed persōs haue come of Christes mere goodnes and no parte of our owne deseruynge and saye Thou arte worthy o Lorde our God to receiue glorye and honoure and power For thou hast created all thynges and for thy wyll they be c. The gospell on Trinitie sondaye The .iij. chapter of Ihon. Th argument ☞ A conflicte betwene the iustice of the flesh and the iustice of the spirite THere was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Iewes The same came to Iesus by nyght and sayd vnto hym Rabbi we knowe that thou arte a teacher come from God for no man coulde do such myracles as thou doest excepte God were wyth hym Iesus answered and sayd vnto hym Verely verely I saye vnto the excepte a mā be borne from aboue he can not se the kyngdome of God Nicodemus sayeth vnto hym how can a man be borne whan he is olde can he enter into hys mothers wombe and be borne againe Iesus answered verely verely I saye vnto the excepte a man be borne of water and of the spirite he can not enter into the kyngdome of God That whych is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirite is spirite Maruayle not thou that I sayd to the ye must be borne from aboue The wynde bloweth where it lysteth and thou hearest the sounde therof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whether it goeth So is euery one that is borne of the spirite Nicodemus answered and sayd vnto him how can these thynges be Iesus answered and sayd vnto hym arte thou a mayster in Israel and knowest not these thynges Verelye verelye I saye vnto the we speake that we do knowe and testifye that we haue sene and ye receyue not our wytnes Yf I haue tolde you earthly thinges and ye beleue not how shall ye beleue yf I tell you of heauenly thynges And no man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that came downe from heuen euen the sonne of man whych is in heauen And as Moses lyfte vp the serpent in the wyldernes euen so muste the sonne of man be lyfte vp that who so euer beleueth in hym perysh not but haue eternall lyfe IN thys Gospell good people is conteyned a sore disputacion vpon the iustyce of the spirtye and the iustice of the fleshe Christ teacheth and defēdeth the spirituall iustice Nicodemus thother but so yet that he suffreth himselfe to be taught and instructed of Christ Fyrst therfore we shall consyder the person of Nicodemus as the Gospell describeth hym and howe folyshly he speaketh of the new byrth The description of Nicodemus For hereby we shall espye what we also can do of oure owne power in godly and spirituall maters Now the Euangelyst certifyeth vs that Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Iues meanynge herby that for the outwarde conuersacion he was fautles in lyuynge and floryshed in such apparaunce of honesty and holynes that he was nombred of the Iues euen amongest the chefest fyrst Lo here thou hast the descripcion of Nicodemus person which before the worlde is both prudent and ryghtuouse And yet neuertheles this worldly wyse and holy man is not so hardy nor so stronge that he dare openlye come to Christe or speake vnto hym albeit he iudgeth Christ a teacher sente from God and can not denye hys sygnes and myracles I praye you why doth not reason here come forth openly to
confesse Christes doctrine For thys thynge doth Christ in any wyse requyre where he sayeth He that confesseth me before men The flesh is fearfull I shall also confesse him before my father and the angels of heauen Surely reason can not do thys it farre passeth her powers to subiecte herselfe to the hatred of the worlde for Christes sake And therfore Christ requyreth of vs to hate oure owne selues to kyll oure olde Adam Math. x that we may so be transformed into new creatures But what knowlege hath our flesh our nature of such transfourmynge or new byrth Surely no knowlege no felynge no vnderstandynge at al as thys sayntly Nicodemus this holy prelate trustynge to hys owne good workes ful wel declareth Christ talketh of the spirituall and new byrth Nicodemus loketh vpō the carnal byrth sayeng thus How can a man be borne agayne whan he is olde Shall he crepe agayne into hys mothers wombe Herken how foolyshly how vnwysely for al his outwarde holynes thys noble prelate speaketh of godly thynges Yea Christ is fayne to expounde vnto hym how it commeth to passe that we be made newe creatures Howbeit he yet vnderstandeth hym not therfore he asketh agayne how it can be I pray you what synguler poynt do ye se in thys Nicodemus or what other thynge do ye fynde in hym but ignoraunce blyndnes and infidelitie Wherfore though hys outwarde conuersacion shyneth neuer so muche before the worlde yet it can not please God God beholdeth not the outwarde face and vysoure but the mynde and fayth Iere v. Ro. xiiij as also Heremy sayeth And what so euer is not of fayth is synne The inwarde ryghtuousnes and goodnes must go before or els the outwarde can not please God Yf thou hast not the inwarde iustice forthwyth Christ sayeth Onles your ryghtuousnes be better then the ryghtuousnes of the scribes and pharises ye shall not come into the kyngdome of heauen Wherfore lyke as Nicodemus is here founde vnskylfull rude and foolysh in maters concernynge the honour of God and oure helth euē so be all we olde Adams and all fleshly accordynge to Christes sayenge what so euer is gendred of flesh is fleshe onles we be lyghtened of the Lordes spirite What the scripture calleth fleshe Ro. viij We cal flesh here the hole nature of mā the body mynde reson vnderstandyng wyl besyde the holy goost Such a man and such a body of synne surely can do nought but synne seme he neuer so gay to other men and be he decked wyth neuer so many good workes whych thynge saynt Paule declareth copiously to the Romaynes and in thys place thys Nicodeme ful playnly sheweth by hys wyse talking Newe byrth Secondly Christ teacheth vs in thys Gospel the new byrth whych thynge Nicodemus coulde not attayne vnto fyrst he so speaketh of thys new byrth or regeneration that he maketh it playnly necessary to our soules helth What it is to se the kingdom of God For thus he sayeth Onles a mā be borne agayne he can not se the kyngdome of god Now to se the kyngdome of God is as muche as to be iustifyed Wherfore consyder here wyth the eyen of thy mynde what Christe speaketh of thys maner iustificaciō and agayne what Nicodemus thinketh agaynst it Christ reasoneth and gathereth thus No worke no reason no outwarde conuersacion iustifyeth it is only the new byrth that must worke thys Agaynst thys conclusion Nicodeme thus obiecteth Yf so be my outwarde conuersacion workes lyfe be cōformable to the lawe thā for such workes sake God can not but iustifye me and make me eternally blessed But surely thys sayenge of hym is excedingly both false and wycked psa cxv for asmuche as all men be lyers and only God true Wherfore let vs consyder the nature of thys regendrynge in what sorte it is Onles sayeth Christ thou beyst borne againe of water and spirite thou canst not come into the kingdome of heauen Baptisme Marke that in baptisme thys new byrth begynneth For it is a token of sleynge the fleshe as Paule wytnesseth Rom. vi And thys is one parte of the newe byrth Now in baptisme the holy goost also is gyuen and where as we be thus kylled he rayseth vs vp agayne he dryueth draweth altereth and so worketh in vs that we be led nomore wyth fleshly affections but wyth goostly and that we shuld breath and thynke no lōger vpon earthly thynges but vpō heauenly thinges and shulde lyue hensforth only to ryghtuousnes And thys is thother parte of thys new byrth It foloweth herof What it is to be newe borne that to be borne again is nought els but to dye to synne warde and by spirite and fayth to lyue to iustice warde Where thys chaūceth there is the kyngdome of god espyed there is the realme of heauen entred into What gloriacion than is lefte here to the ryghtuousnes of Nicodemus Surely it is not worth a rushe nor to be sette an hawe by Phil. iij. none otherwise than Paule estemed his ryghtuousnes that he gat in hys Iewysh lyfe no better than donge For not the thynge that commeth of our owne reason but that whych the spirite worketh in vs is acceptable to God The thynge that is gendred of the spirite is spirite and is only of valure before God Eph iiij And therfore saynt Paul sayeth to the Ephesians Do of the olde man accordynge to youre former maners and conuersation and put ye on the new man How can reason do or compryse these thinges syth it can not perceyue thynges corporall and outward as from whence the wynde commeth and whyther it woll To conclude thys new byrth is a worke of the spirite though the Papistes do neuer so muche preache the iustice of theyr fleshe Christ hath purchased vs the spirite Thyrdly we be here taught who hath gottē gyuen delyuered and cōmunicated vnto vs thys spirite euen the sonne of man Christe who only came from heauen and retourned into heauen By what thynge then hathe he gotten and deserued vnto vs this spirite Truly herby that he was likewise exalted as the serpent in wyldernes Nu. xxi But what maner serpent is thys The people of Israell ones grudged agaynst god and blaspehmed hym so heynously that he sent vpon them fyery serpentes And who so euer was bytten of any such serpent dyed therof Here God at last moued with the prayers and requestes of Moses commaunded a brasen serpent to be erected for a signe that whosoeuer beynge strykē of any suche serpent shulde loke vp to that brasen serpent shulde be healed Thys fygure Christ draweth to hymselfe and this in sentence he sayeth I shal be delyuered to myne aduersaries to be crucifyed and at last slayne for thys intente that by my crosse and death God the moost louynge father myght be recōciled to the worlde Whosoeuer therfore beynge stryken wyth the poyson darte of synne loketh vp to me that is to saye
And therfore whan oure sauiour Christe came amonges them he went aboute to restore all agayne to the ryght sence and purenes and to seuer and wede out the fansyes dreames and leuen of the pharisees wherwyth they had ensoured and corrupted the swete breade of lyfe and he openly tolde the people that onles theyr perfection theyr goodnes and rightuousnes passed the ryghtuousnes and good lyuynge of the scribes and pharisees they shulde neuer come to the kyngdome of heauen Whervpon he went on and taught the commaundementes of God and the pure and ryght vnderstandynge of them as in hys moost excellente and swete sermon whyche he made to hys disciples on the mountayne whych the holy Euangelist saint Matthew setteth forth vnto vs in the v.vi and .vij. chapters more at large doth appeare Mat. vij A good tree sayth Christ bringeth forth good frute For not euery one that sayth vnto me Lorde Lord shal entre in to the kyngdome of heauen but he that doth the wyll of my father whych is in heauen Thou readest in the lawe Thou shalt loue thy Lorde God wyth all thy harte wyth al thy soule wyth al thy power minde Do thys sayeth Christ and thou shalte lyue eternally in heauen Thou mayest not speake of God wyth thy mouth or praye vnto hym wyth thy lyppes and thy harte be farre from God Naye thou must loue hym wyth thy hole harte mynde and power and not fayntly And thou must loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe Who soeuer doth thys shall lyue And who soeuer hath not done thys let hym repent and become a newe mā Let hym aske grace of God that he may be able through hys ayde and helpe to do it He that seketh shall fynde he that asketh shall obtayne to hym that knocketh it shal be opened There is nothynge impossible to God So longe as we be carnall and vnrenewed by the spirite it is not possible for vs to loue God wyth harte We maye wel drede hym as a Lorde punysher of synne but loue hym as a father we can not We maye well lyke seruauntes feare hym but reuerently loue hym lyke sonnes and doughters we cānot It is not possible I say for a carnall man to fulfyll the lawe whych is spirituall Rom. vij The lawe as ye haue herde requyreth the hart We must loue God wyth harte and not drede hym for feare of punyshment as bondmen and bondwomen do theyr lorde Yf we woll consyder what God hath done for vs fyrst he made vs of nought he prouydeth for vs all thynges necessarie to oure soules helth he hath made our soules not as be the soules of beastes wythout reason and whych peryshe dye wyth the body but reasonable but immortall he sente also hys owne sonne from heauen to redeme mankinde from the tyranny and thraldome of the deuel and to teach them how to lyue a godly and an innocent lyfe Yf I saye we woll consyder all thys howe can we but loue god euen wyth harte do his swete wyll and pleasure onles we be harder then the Adamant stones onles we be made of suche a churlyshe nature that nothynge can moue vs. But the pharisees for moost parte were carnal and fleshly persons They obserued the letter of the lawe they kepte the outwarde wordes they dyd no lechery outwardlye they cōmytted no thefte no murther no periury nor suche other vyces outwardlye they dyd sacrifice to God they offered vnto him they sensed they pyped they played they prayed after theyr fashiō but none of all thys was done wyth the harte For inwardly they were full of all abhominacion as Christe hymselfe wytnessed vnto them For they dyd it onely for feare of punyshmēt and not for any harty loue that they had to God They fulfylled the letter of the lawe outwardly But theyr minde theyr spirite theyr hart was vpō other thynges that is to wyt vpō worldly vanities and pleasures So they coulde not fulfyll the lawe so longe as they were in that case For as Paule full well declareth the lawe is spirituall Rom. vij and ought to be done and executed wyth the harte wyth the spirite and mynde and not only outwardly Yet neuertheles all the Iewes were not in thys case for there were holy and iuste persons in all ages as appeareth full wel in the bokes of holy scripture And there were also many whych had good intentes but they were so drowned wyth the blyndnes supersticion gloses tradicions interpretacions and dreames of the pharisees and elders that they espyed not the true honoure and worshyp of God of whyche sorte was Nicodemus Ioh. iij. whych came by nyght to Christ to learne of hym and to dispute wyth hym But Christ perceyuynge that he was yet carnall and that he obserued but the letter of the lawe and not the spirite and mynde of the lawe sayd by and by vnto hym Verely verely I say vnto the onles thou be as who shulde saye new borne not of thy mother but of water and spirite thou canst not enter into the kyngdome of god That that is borne of flesh is flesh but that whych is borne of spirite is spirite A fleshly mā a naturall man a man vnbaptized vnrenewed with the spirite can not smel nor haue any sauour of thinges spirituall he can not worke the wyll and pleasure of God He maye well for feare satisfye the outward wordes but he shall neuer do the wyll of God wyllyngly hartely and with spirite as it is requyred of God that he shulde do For as I haue sayd the law is spirituall and requyreth the harte And surely it appeareth well that thys lawyer toke but the letter of the lawe not the spirite by the question folowyng where he asketh Christ who is hys neyghboure For yf he had loued God hertely he shulde haue counted euery man hys neyghboure as Christes similitude byddeth and not only hys owne nation as cōmonly the Iues dyd Wherfore my frendes yf we wol haue euerlastynge lyfe let vs do as Christe here byddeth vs. Let vs not be speakers nor hearers of the law but doers and not outwarde and lyterall doers but hartye but spirituall doers not for feare as bondmen but for loue as fremē and sonnes and heyres Thys let vs do and we shall lyue euerlastyngly in heauen wyth God To whome be all honoure and imperie for euer and euer Amen The Epistle on the .xiiij. sonday after Trinitie The .v. chapter to the Galathians Th argument ☞ The batell betwene the spirite and the fleshe and the frutes of them both BRethren walke in the spirite and fulfil not the lust of the flesh For the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirite and the spirite contrary to the fleshe These are contrary one to another so that ye can not do what soeuer ye wolde But and yf ye be led of the spirite than are ye not vnder the lawe The dedes of the fleshe are manyfest whyche are these aduoutrye fornication vnclenes
wantōnes worshyppynge of ymages wytchcraft hatred variaunce zele wrath stryfe sediciō sectes enuyeng murther dronkennes glottony and suche lyke of the whych I tell you before as I haue tolde you in tymes past that they whych commytte such thynges shall not be inheritours of the kyngdome of God Contrarely they frute of the spirite is loue ioye peace longe sufferynge gentlenes goodnes faythfulnes mekenes temperancy Agaynst suche there is no lawe They that are Christes haue crucifyed the flesh wyth the affections and lustes MY welbeloued brethren and systers in Christe ye muste well consyder and vnderstande that the lyfe of a christen man and womā in thys present worlde is as who shulde saye a continuall warfare a dayly batell and fyghtynge accordynge to the sayeng of Iob. Iob. vij Mans lyfe is on erth a warfare And ye shall furthermore vnderstande that the greatest aduersarie the greatest enemye the mā hath is him selfe Neyther hath mā any thinge so harde and so strōge an enemye to ouercome as hys owne flesh his owne stubborne and rebellous mynde and lust forasmuch as of our owne corrupt natures we be inclined to al naughtynes and euels as it is wrytten in the boke of Genesis Ge. viij The vnderstandinge and ymaginacion of mans harte is euell euen from hys youth The flesh lusteth contrary to the spirite and the spirite to the flesh Ioh. iij Wherfore yf we be not regenerate yf we be not borne agayne yf we be not purged clensed renewed by the spirite of God and so gouerned and directed in al our procedinges and doynges of the same surely we shall neuer enter into the kyngdome of heuen and thys is it that saint Paule doth here tel vs of He byddeth vs walke in the spirite that is to say cast awaye our olde corrupt nature and put on vs a new nature that is to saye a spirituall nature a new man so shall we not fulfyll the lustes and desyres of the flesh As who shulde say Albeit your flesh wrastleth and fyghteth agaynst your spirite whyche ye haue obtayned by Christ and againe your spirite agaynst your fleshe bycause it is not yet throughlye mortifyed nor crucifyed in such wyse that somtyme ye do not the thynge that ye wold fayne do through the infirmitie and weakenes of the fleshe whyche ye haue not yet fully conquered yet thys notwythstandynge se ye go styll on and walke accordynge to the spirite Folowe I saye the thynges of the spirite as holy meditacions readynges of scripture deuoute prayers abstinence of the body and all godly exercises Thus doynge ye shall growe stronge in the spirite ye shal be hable by gods grace and assistence to wythstande the lustes and desyres of the flesh and of the corrupte nature yea ye shal be new mē spirituall men conducted led and gouerned by the holy spirit of god ye shall then embrase the wyll of God frelye without compulsion and not as bondmen to the law Ye shall then be enfraunchised from the thraldome of the deuell Then shall charitie worke more in you than any outwarde lawe can do i. tim i. For a lawe is not made for iust and parfyte persons but to brydel and represse the lustes of synfull persons of carnall and beastly folke for as a certayne Philosopher sayeth Plato Of the euell maners of men dyd good lawes take begynnynge For yf all men wold do as they ought to do we shulde nede no lawes Good men therfore be not vnder the lawe For to be vnder the lawe is to be in seruile feare and not to do the lawe frely And bycause ye shulde knowe the better whan ye walke fleshly and whan spiritually the Apostle S. Paule setteth forth vnto vs the frutes of the fleshe and the frutes of the spirite Workes of the fleshe The workes of the fleshe sayeth he be easely knowen whych are these aduoutrye letchery vnclennes ydolatrye wytchcraft poysonynge hatred stryfe hartbrennynge fume chafynge discorde heresies sectes enuye dronkennes ryotte surfettynge and such lyke Of these foule vyces and frutes of the corrupte nature I tell you before sayeth saynt Paule that who so euer do them onles he ryse agayne by dew penaunce shall neuer inherite the kyngdome of God On the contrarye syde the frute of the spirite is loue charitie ioye peace wyth all men pacience sufferaunce myldnes lyberalitie faythfulnes meknes temperaūce And against such persons sayeth S. Paule as shew these frutes surely there is no lawe i. tim i. For as sayde is the lawe is made for the other sorte of men whych be iniust and disobedient it is not ordeyned for the chyldren of the spirite whych be infraunchysed and whyche be wyllyngly wythout compulsion obedient ynough For the chyldren of the spirite I meane all suche whych belonge vnto Iesu Christ haue mortifyed and crucifyed and do cōtinually mortifye and crucifye theyr fleshe theyr vyces and concupiscences by the power of the spirite that raygneth in them as S. Paul dyd sayenge i. cor ix I tame my bodye and brynge it into subiection Assuredly my frendes the chyldren of the spirite be now nomore subiecte to the fleshe but the fleshe rather is subiecte vnto them or at lest wayes vnto the spirite whych is in them Our Lorde graūt that hys spirite maye so worke in vs by hys lyuely word that we maye eschue the workes of the fleshe and folowe the frutes and workes of the same spirite by our Lorde Iesu Christ To whome wyth the father and holy goost thre persons and one God be rēdred all honoure glorie prayse and thankes for euer and euer Amen The Gospel on the .xiiij. sonday after Trinitie The .xvij. Chapter of Luke Th argument ☞ Christ healeth the .x. lepers AS Iesus wente to Hierusalem he passed thorowe Samaria and Galile And as he entred in to a certayne towne there met hym ten men that were lepers Whych stode afarre of and put forth theyr voyces and sayd Iesu mayster haue mercye on vs. When he sawe them he sayd vnto them Go shewe your selues vnto the prestes And it came to passe that as they wente they were clensed And one of them when he sawe that he was clensed turned backe agayne and with a loude voyce praysed God and fell downe on hys face at hys fete gaue hym thankes And the same was a Samaritane And Iesus answered and sayd are there not ten clēsed But where are those nyne There are not foūd that returned againe to gyue God prayse saue only thys straunger And he sayd vnto hym aryse go thy waye thy fayth hath made the hole GOod christē people not only the wordes of our Lorde be full of great mysteries and significacions but also hys myracles and hys workes be as it were parables and ful of mystery and by them we ought to nourysh increase oure weake fayth more and more and to make it stronge as one may se and consyder in the gospell of thys daye whych maketh mencion of .x.
deuell as appeareth manyfestly in the fourth chapter of Mathewe Al thys he dyd to shewe vs an exēple how we ought to do We haue many teachers but fewe doers Thou sayeth Paule whyche teachest another Rom. i. teachest not thy selfe Thou preachest a man shulde not steale and thou stealest thy selfe Thou that sayest a man shulde not commytte adultrye cōmyttest horedome thy selfe Thou abhorrest ymages yet thou doest robbe God of hys due honour Christ byddeth hys Apostles and preachers that theyr lyght shulde shyne before men Math. v He wolde haue them to be the salt of the earth But yf the salt sayeth he be vnsauery wherewith shal it be sauered it is good for nothyng but to be cast out of the dores and trodē vnder fete And in conclusion he sayeth in thys wyse Whosoeuer doth and teacheth the same shal be called greate in the kyngdome of heauen Yea he furthermore assureth vs Math. v that onles our ryghtuousnes do passe the ryghtuousnes of the scribes and pharisees we shall not entre into the kyngdome of heauen But wol ye knowe good people what be scribes and pharisees Herken what Christe sayeth in the .xxiij. chapter of Mathew The scribes and pharisees syt in Moses chaire All therfore that they byd you obserue that obserue and do but do not ye after theyr workes for they saye and do not Yea they bynde together heuy burthēs and greuous to be borne and laye them on mens backes but they themselues wyll not heue at them wyth one of theyr fyngers But let vs now se whether there be any suche scribes and pharisees amōges Christē men Origene as were in olde tyme amonges the Iues. Origene that auncient doctour Who be scribes wrytynge vpon thys place of Mathew sayeth that those be scribes whych depart not from the letter of the law These be such persons as teach nothynge but the outwarde obseruynge and as who shulde saye the barke of the lawe where as accordynge to saynt Paule the lawe kylleth and the spirite quyckeneth Ro. vij For as saynt Austine doth very well declare Austine the letter of the lawe wythout the spirite is not ynough It is the spirite that quyckeneth Ioh. iij. of whome onles a mā be borne agayne he can not entre into the kyngdome of God Thys spirite is wont to lede men into al trouth he discloseth and openeth vnto vs the pyth of the lawe that is to say the lyuely and ernest fayth in Messias that was promysed so longe before by the prophetes euen our sauiour Christ Iesus for whose loue we ought frelye to fulfyll and worke the lawe and not constrainedly lyke slaues and bondmen forasmuch as the spirite of God hath infranchised vs and made vs Christes freemen They than whych teach not thys fredome and enfranchisement of christian men that is to wit whych teach not the pyth or karnell of the lawe but the barke or houske be no better than scribes The papistes be scribes Now I pray you what other be al papistes but euen such worse for they can skant abyde to teache so muche as the letter of gods law whych neuertheles beyng taught nakedly and alone doth but kyll it quyckeneth not Yea they wol teach welnere nothynge but theyr owne traditions customes and beggerly elemētes I haue brefly shewed you my frendes which be scribes accordynge to the definition of the auncient doctour Origene Let vs now se What origene calleth pharisee what he calleth a Pharisee Such as professynge sayeth he some greater thyng do diuide themselues as better from the multitude and cōmon sorte of men be called pharisees which by interpretacion be as much to say as diuisi or segregati that is to wyt diuided or seuered persons For Phares in Ebrue is called a diuision Now accordynge to thys definicion whether there be any pharisees in Christendome I reporte me to your selues Lorde God what diuisions what sectes what sūdry sutes of holy holy persons haue we had in Englāde now of late whych thought themselues better and holyer than the rest of people yea whiche wolde suffer none to be called religiouse but themselues where as after the diffinitiō of saint Iames they were as farre wyde and differed as much from religiouse persons as an ape differre from an owle But let vs retourne to our lection These scribes and pharisees dyd teach but they dyd not the thinges whych they taught Christ as saynt Luke doth here wytnesse fyrste dyd the thynges and after he taught them And of all these thynges sayth Luke whych Iesus began to do and teache vntyll the tyme of hys ascension haue we spoken in the former treatyse Thys treatyse we call cōmonly the Gospell of saynt Luke Now than whan the Apostles were as on thys daye assembled and come together they asked Christ sayenge Lorde wylte thou at thys tyme restore agayne the kyngdome of Israel Lo good people here ye haue a ryght notable exemple of the Apostles infirmitie and weakenes The wekenes of the apostles For albeit they had herde oftentymes that Christes kyngdome or raygne shulde be spirituall yet they continued styll to dreame of a certaine corporal Monarchy or rule But nowe what doth Christe vnto them Albeit they thought spake foolyshly yet he reiected them not but ryght gently he plucketh them awaye from those carnall thoughtes saynge It is not for you to knowe the tymes or the seasons which the father hath put in hys owne power as who shulde saye medle ye wyth your office wherevnto ye be appoynted Your office is to testifye of me of my doctrine Ye shal be wytnesses sayeth Christ vnto me not only in Ierusalem but also in all Iury and in Samary The office of apostles or preachers and euen vnto the worldes ende And here is to be noted that Christ woll not haue hys preachers curiouse vpon ydle questions or vayne philosophie For theyr only office and feate is to preache Christe and hys doctrine that is to wyt to set forth and propowne only such thynges as Christe hath taught done to be beleued of the ignoraūt people for which cause also the holy goost was gyuen vnto them euē to thintent to make the Apostles mete to teache and vs to receyue theyr teachynge ☜ Now whan Christe had spokē these thynges whyle hys Apostles beheld hym lo sodenly he was taken vp on hygh a cloud receyued hym vp out of theyr syght The frute of the ascēsion Here my brethren ye shall marke the frute and profyte of our sauiour Christes Ascension For by hys styenge or ascendynge vp into heauen he wrought two thynges for vs. The one was he had a most goodly and gloriouse triumphe vpon oure mortall enemye the deuell The other was he anone sent downe the holy goost to hys Apostles as also the prophete Dauid wytnesseth sayenge Ascendit in altum captiuam duxit captiuitatem dedit dona hominibus That is to
thre therfore the fathers haue founde out the worde person for the auoydynge of many errours Why the feaste of Trinitie was institute And hereof for discernynge the sayd persons is the name of Trinitie come into the church wherby we sygnifye not .iij. vnegall persons but thre persons coequal of one in diuisible substaunce and essencie And as touchinge the vse of thys feast oure predecessours thought it good to haue some certayne tyme appoynted in the church wherin they myght intreate of the offices of those thre persons egall in godheade And bycause the fourth chapter of the Apocalyps semeth to sette forth wonderfully well the maiestie of God and not obscurely to touche the mysterye of the Trinitie the church of Englande condescended to haue the same red in the church thys daye whych brefely God wyllynge we shal declare vnto you Thus it beginneth After thys I loked and beholde a dore open in heauen and the fyrst voyce I herde was as of a trōpe speakynge wyth me sayenge Come vp hither and I shall shewe the what shal be done herafter Thys dore whych saynt Ihon sawe open no doubte is the intraunce and commynge to the new and heauenly lyfe whych Christe oure Sauioure hath made vs as the Epistle to the Hebrues the .x. phil iij. chapter wytnesseth For our cōuersacion ought now to be in heauē And saynt Ihon doth here describe the Iudicial power of Christe gyuen hym of the heauenlye father wherewyth he defendeth hys churche from the power of the aduersaries And he sayeth There was a seate set and vpon it a sytter wherby he sygnifyeth the stabilitie of Christes raygne For hys seate or trone is as Dauid sayeth worlde wythout ende And he that satte vpon thys glorious and princelye trone or seate was to loke vpon lyke a Iaspar stone and a Sardyne stone Psalm lxxxiiij By thys is vnderstanded nothynge els but a certayne heauenly royall bewty shewynge aswell the maiestye as the power most excellent of the iudge Christ For the cloth of estate royall seates of kynges be wont to be moost rychely decked and furnyshed for the settynge out of theyr Maiestye and authoritie Nowe the Iaspar stone they saye beareth the semblaunce of water and the Sardyn stone of fyer wherby is vnderstanded that the Lorde is wont to make hys iudgementes in water and in fyer as appeareth Gen. vij and .xix. Exo. xiiij and in the seconde Epistle of Peter the last chapiter and in many other places of scripture The raynebow And a raynebowe was about the seat in syght lyke to an Emerald The raynebowe is a token that god the father is made at one wyth vs by Christ and reconciled to mankynde emerald as appeareth Gen. ix Nowe the Emeralde they say is of such grenenes vertue that it maketh all thynges aboute it to floryshe and growe Lactantius Euen so by Christ the world is renewed and it reflorysheth as Lactantius doth very elegauntly and well declare in a certayne Hymne And aboute the seate were .xxiiij. seates And vpon the seates .xxiiij. elders syttynge clothed in whyte raiment and had on their heades crownes of gold Saint Ihon doth here allude to the maner of a realme well ordered where kynges and princes whyche are to gyue sentence in maters of weyghte woll not do it wythout the assistence of certayne auncient personages that haue good experience of thynges and knowlege of the best lawes lest they myght seme to condempne any man of theyr owne priuate lust and pleasure Wherfore by this allusiō he declareth that God is a moost iust iudge whose sentence all iuste persons shal approue and prayse as moost ryghtful and true By the .xxiiij. elders ye shall vnderstande aswell the patriarches and prophetes of the olde synagoge as the Apostles Euangelistes doctours of the new Testament Exod. xxiiii Nu. xi Act. xx and also the godly kynges iuges of both peoples For they in scripture be called Elders Now by the syttynge of these Elders is vnderstande the felowship of the iudiciall power with Christ accordynge to Christes owne sayenge Mat. xix Ye shall also syt vpon the .xij. seates iudgynge the xij trybes i. cor vi Also saynt Paule wytnesseth that saintes shall iudge of thys worlde By theyr whyte garmentes or robes wherewyth they were clothed is sygnifyed purenes of mynde innocencye and indifferent iudgement wythout affection Exod. xviiij By theyr crownes of golde vpon theyr heades I vnderstande the mooste pure sense of faith wherby they shal iuge of al accordynge to the arbitrement of God so that what so euer they shall iuge vpon earth shal be ratifyed also in heauen accordynge to that sayng of Christ Mathew xviii What soeuer ye bynde on earth shal be bounde in heuen and what soeuer ye louse on erth the same shal be loused in heauen Furthermore they sygnifye the felowshyp of the victories and raygne of Christ Cap. xi accordynge to that in the Epistle to the Hebrues The sayntes haue vaynquyshed realmes by fayth It foloweth in the texte And out of the seate proceded lyghtenynges and thonderynges and voyces And there were seuen lampes of fyre burnynge before the seate whyche are the seuen spirites of God The preachynge of the Apostles and of men apostolical is compared to lyghtenynge and thondrynge bycause by it is proclamed the fearfulnes of gods iudgementes the whych hange ouer the heades of infideles and such as beleue not By the .vii. lampes of fyre brennyng before the trone I vnderstande the septiforme spirite of God that is to wyt the fulnes and perfection of the heauenly graces wherwyth the kyngdome of Christ is furnyshed Esa xi i. cor xij It foloweth And before the seate there was a see of glasse lyke vnto Crystall and in the myddes of the seate and rounde about the seate were foure beastes full of eyes before and behynde c. My frendes the calamities of thys worlde wherwyth the stynch of the fleshe is repourged and the naughtye affectes of the same vtterly mortifyed muste nedes be passed ouer of vs euen as it behoued the people of God to passe the red see before they coulde entre into the lande of promission Wherfore those heauenly and spiritual waters be here sygnifyed wherwythal the pourgynge of the soules and the spiritual regeneratiō is made Ioh. iij. i. Pe. iiij For onles a man be borne agayne of water and spirite he can not se God And he calleth it a see after the Hebrues fashion whych be wont to call al gatherynges of waters sees as in the thyrd boke of kynges it is called the brasen see wherin the prestes in theyr ministracion washed and in certaine other places Now glasse is a bryght thyng wherby is meant that the water of baptisme purifyeth and maketh bryght not so much the bodye as the hartes yea euē in the outwarde conuersation of maners according to that of Christe Let your lyght so shyne before
of death not restored to blesse agayne But now is he rysen agayne frō death sayth he to be the fyrst frutes of them that be aslepe to rayse them to euerlastynge lyfe agayne Yea yf it were not true that Christe is rysē again than were it neyther true that he is ascended vp to heauen nor that he sent downe the holy goost nor that he sytteth on the ryght hande of the father hauynge the rule of heauen and earth reygnynge as the prophete sayeth from see to see psa lxxi nor that he shulde after thys worlde be a iudge of lyuynge deade to gyue rewarde to the good and iugement to the euell That these lynkes therfore of oure fayth shulde all hange together in stedfaste confirmation it pleased our sauiour not strayght way to wythdraw hymself from the corporall syght of hys disciples but chose out fourty daies wherin he wold declare vnto them by manyfolde and moost stronge argumentes and tokens that he had conquered death and was truly rysen agayne to lyfe lu xxiiij He began sayeth Luke at Moses and all the prophetes and dyd expoune them the prophecies that were wrytten in al the scriptures of hym to confirme the truth of his resurrection longe before spoken of whych he verefyed in dede as it is declared manyfestly by hys ofte appearaunce to sondry persons at sondry tymes Math. xxviij Fyrst he sente hys angels to the sepulchre whych dyd shewe to certayne women that the stone of the graue was remoued from the dore therof and shewed them the empty graue sauynge that the buriall lynnen remayned therin and of these sygnes were these women fully instructed that he was rysen agayne and so dyd they testifye it opēlye Ioh. xx After thys Iesus hymselfe appeared to Mary Magdalene and after that to other certayne women strayght afterwarde he appeared to Peter than to the two disciples whych were goynge to Emaus i. cor xv lu xxiiij He appered to the disciples also as they were gathered together for feare of the Iues the dores shut Ioh. xxi At an other tyme he was sene at the see of Tyberias of Peter and Thomas and other disciples whan they were fyshynge i. cor xv He was sene of more thā fyue hundred brethren in the mount of galile where Iesus appoynted them by hys angel whan he said beholde he shal go before you into Galile there shal ye se hym as he hath said vnto you Actu i. After thys he appeared vnto Iames and last of all he was vysiblye sene of al the Apostles at such tyme as he was takē vp into heauen Thus at sondrye tymes he shewed hymselfe after he was rysen agayne to cōfirme this artycle and in these reuelations somtyme he shewed them hys handes hys feete and hys syde and bad them touch hym that they shulde not take hym for a goost or a spirite Somtyme he also dyd eate wyth them but euer he was talkynge wyth them of the kyngdome of God to confirme the truth of hys resurrection For then he opened theyr vnderstandyng to perceyue the scriptures sayd vnto them Thus it is wrytten and thus it behoued Christ to suffer to ryse from death the thyrde daye lu xxiiij and to haue preached openly in hys name penaunce and remission of synnes to all the nations of the worlde Ye see good christen people howe necessarie thys artycle of oure fayth is seynge it was proued of Christ hymselfe by such euident reasons and tokens by so longe tyme space Now therfore as our sauiour was diligēt for oure cōforte and instruction to testifie it so let vs be as ready in oure beleue to receyue it to our comforte and instruction As he dyed not for himselfe no more dyd he ryse agayne for hymselfe He was dead sayth saint Paule for our synnes and rose agayne for our iustification O moost comfortable worde euermore to be borne in remembraunce He dyed sayeth he to put away synne he rose agayne to endewe vs wyth ryghtuousnes Hys death toke awaye synne malediction hys death was the raunsome of them both Hys death destroyed death and ouercame the deuyll whych had the power of death in his subiectiō Hys death destroyed hell wyth all the damnation therof Thus is death swalowed vp by Christes victorye thus is hel spoyled for euer Yf any mā doubt of thys victorye i. cor xv let Christes glorious resurrection declare hym the thynge Yf death coulde not kepe Christ vnder his dominion but that he arose again it is manyfest that hys power was ouercome Yf death be cōquered than must it folowe that sinne wherfore death was appoynted as the wages must be also destroyed Yf death and synne be vanished away then is the deuels tyrannye resysted whyche had the power of death and was the author of sinne and the ruler of hell Yf Christe had the victory of them all by the power of hys death and openly proued it by hys valiaūt resurrection as it was not possible for hys great myght to be subdued of them than thys true that Christe dyed for oure synnes and rose agayne for our iustification why may not we that be hys members by true fayth reioyce and boldly saye wyth the prophete Osee the Apostle Paule i. cor xv where is thy darte O death where is thy victory O hell Thankes be vnto God saye they whyche hath gyuen vs the victory by our Lord Christ Iesus Thys myghtye conquest of hys resurrection was not only sygnifyed afore by dyuerse fygures of the olde testament as by Sampson whan he slewe the Lyon Iu. xiiij out of whose mouth came out swetnes and hony and as Dauid bare his fygure whan he delyuered the lambe out of the Lyons mouth and whan he ouercame i. Reg. xvij Ion. ij slewe the great gyant Goliath and as whan Ionas was swalowed vp of the whales mouth and cast vp agayne on londe to lyue but was also moost clerely prophecied by the prophetes of the olde testament in the newe also confirmed by the Apostles He hath spoyled sayeth saynt Paule rule and power and all the dominion of our spirituall enemyes Col. ij He hath made a shewe of them openlye and hath triumphed ouer them in hys owne person Thys is the myghty power of the Lorde whome we beleue on By hys death hath he wrought thys victorye for vs and by hys resurrection hathe he purchased euerlastynge lyfe ryghtuousnes for vs. It had not ben ynough to be delyuered by hys death from synne excepte by hys resurrection we had ben endowed wyth ryghtuousnes And it shulde not auayle vs to be delyuered from death except he had rysen agayne to open for vs the gates of heuen to enter into lyfe euerlastinge And therfore saynte Peter thanketh God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ for hys abundaunt mercy i. Pet. i. bycause he hath begottē vs sayeth he vnto a lyuely hope by
the power of synne to delyuer vs from the daunger therof and to gyue vs exemple to dye to synne in our lyfe As the Iues dyd eate theyr Ester lābe kept theyr fest in remembraūce of theyr deliueraūce out of Egypt Euē so let vs kepe our Ester feast in the thankfull remēbraunce of Christes benefytes whych he hath purchased for vs by hys resurrectiō passyng to hys father wherby we be deliuered from the captiuitie thraldome of al our enemyes Let vs in like maner passe ouer the affections of our olde conuersacion to be delyuered from the bondage therof to ryse with Christ Exo. xij The Iues kept theyr feast in absteynynge from leuened breade by the space of .vij. dayes let vs christen folke kepe our holy day in a spiritual maner that is in absteining not from material leuened bread but from the olde leuen of synne the leuen of maliciousnes wyckednes Let vs cast frō vs the leuen of corrupt doctrine that wyl infect our soules Let vs kepe oure feast the hole terme of our lyfe with eatynge the bred of purenes of godly lyfe truth of Christes doctrine Thus shall we declare that Christes gyftes graces haue theyr effect in vs that we haue the right beleue knowlege of his holy resurrection whervnto yf we applye our fayth to the vertue therof in our lyfe cōforme vs to the exemple signification ment therby we shal be suer to ryse hereafter to euerlastynge glorye by the goodnes and mercy of our Lorde Iesus Christe to whome wyth the father and the holy goost c. On the fyrst sondaye after Ester The Epistle on the fyrste sondaye after Ester daye called lowe sondaye The fyrst Epistle of Iohn and the .v. Chapter Th argument of thys Epistle ☞ Of the excellency of fayth and how it ouercōmeth the worlde MOst dere beloued brethren al that is borne of God ouercōmeth the worlde And this is the victory that ouercōmeth the world euē our faith Who is it that ouercommeth the worlde i. cor x. but he whyche beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God Thys Iesus Christe is he that came by water and bloud not by water onely but by water bloud And it is the spirite that beareth wytnesse because the spirite is trueth for there are thre whiche beare recorde in heauen the father the worde and holy goste And these thre are one And there are thre whyche beare record in earth the spirite water and bloud and these thre are one Yf we receaue the wytnes of men the wytnes of God is greater For thys is the wytnes of God that is greater whyche he testifyed of hys sonne He that beleueth on the sonne of god hath the wytnes in hymselfe An exhortation vpon thys Epistel OVre Epistle taken out of the first epistle catholyke of saint Iohn good christen brethern doth shewe vnto vs that we haue a generation from god which is that which procedeth of faith this ouercommyth the worlde that is to saie the concupiscences of syn̄es which be pryde couetous and lecherye Assuredly my frendes ther is I trust no man amonges vs but knoweth that of nature we be al born in synnes ☞ in vnrightuousnes in vtter ignorance of al ghostly and spiritual thinges And therfore Sainct Austine wryteth on this wise The wordes of S. Austine Beholde my brethern beholde the generacion of mankynde from the firste death of that first man For synne from the first man hath entred into this world and by syn̄e hath death entred and so hath passed thorough all men as witnesseth thapostle But marke sayth saynte Austine this worde passed through Pertran sijt Synne is rūne through vpon all the ofsprynge of Adam and for this cause is the new borne chylde gylty of eternal damnation he hath not yet done syn but he hath caught synne For surely that fyrst synne of oure foreparentes dyd not styll remayne in the headsprynge but it passed through into the ofsprynge not into hym and hym but into al men The fyrst synner the fyrst trāsgressour begat synners subiecte to death Than came the Sauiour of a virgine to heale saue them he came to the but not the waye that thou cāmest For he proceded not of the concupiscēce of the male and female he came not of that bonde of concupiscence Bycause therfore he came to the not by that waye that thou cammest ☞ therfore he delyuered the. But where dyd he fynde the He founde the solde vnder synne lyenge in the death of the fyrste man drawynge vp the synne of the fyrst mā beynge gylty and hauynge condemnation yer thou couldest discerne good and euell asunder Hetherto I haue rehersed vnto you the wordes of saynt Austyne Wherfore to retourne to my purpose forasmuch as we be borne in synne whych bryngeth wyth it ignoraunce blyndnes and infidelitie therfore we can not chalenge thys to our owne power and vertue that we beleue Iesus to be Christ but for the beleuynge herof we haue nede to be borne agayne and to be renewed through the holy goost and by the worde of God to thintent we may purely vnderstande the thynges that be of God and that we maye by faythe take holde of the promyses of Christ and so finally wyth sure confidence determine wyth our selues that Iesus is Christe Ioh. iij. that is to saye the annoynted Kynge and Sauioure of the worlde Before we be newe borne agayn by spirite we be al Nicodemes For no doubte before we be thus borne agayne we be all but Nicodemes that is to saye we maye well beleue that Christ came as a greate mayster from God and that nomā coulde do the sygnes and myracles that he dyd But thys is but an historial fayth and they that haue it do as yet walke out of the kyngdom of heuen wyth Nicodemus to whō Christ answereth Verely verely I saye vnto the onles a mā be borne agayne from aboue he can not se the kyngdome of God Ioh. iij. whych selfe thynge the holy apostle saynte Ihon doth in thys place declare in other termes saynge i. Ioh. v. he can not beleue Iesus to be Christe For he that beleueth not thys can not se the kyngdome of god To beleue that Iesus is Christe is surely to determine and conclude wyth thy self that Iesus is fyrste to the a Sauiour and secōdly What it is to beleue that Iesus is Christ that he is a kynge anoynted with the oyle of gladnes perpetually to rule to preserue to defend the so saued by hym And here saynt Ihons entent and purpose is to declare vnto vs a difference betwene the historiall faythe concernynge Christe whyche the deuyll also hath A difference of faythes and so all hypocrites and betwene the true and sauynge fayth whych beleueth that Christ doth both saue vs and also taketh a continuall charge regard of our saluation To thys fayth we be borne agayne whan through the
holy goost we be called by the worde to the knowlege of Gods wyll ☞ to thintent we maye vnderstande that Iesus is Christe I meane that he is such one in whome is reposed all grace helth defense and sauegarde agaynste synne death Satan the worlde and so forth This he that beleueth Borne of God is sayd to be borne of god as though saint Ihon shulde say To beleue that Iesus is Christ is not a worke of humane power strength but it is suche a worke whervnto is requyred the power of God an heauenly renewyng or regeneration wherby the holy goost transformeth vs into newe creatures And what is this faith whiche is so myghty It is as I haue sayde the same that maketh vs beleue that Iesus is the sonne of god that was baptysed which thinge is to be comen by water that suffered death and passion for the redemption of men which is to be comen by bloude That Iesus Christ is verite for the holy ghost doth witnesse it that is to say both trew god and trewe man And that he is trewe god thre thinges doth witnesse it in heuē the father the sonne which is him selfe and the holy ghost and these thre be one selfe witnesse And that he is trewe man thre thinges doth witnesse it in erth the spirite which he hath bequethed into the handes of his father at his death the water with which he was baptised and the bloude which he hath shed with water when his syde was percyd after that he was deade And these thre thinges be one selfe witnesse And if we receyue the witnesse of menne why shuld we not take the witnesse of god which is infinitely greater than mās that he is the sonne of god This witnesse was made by god the father in his baptisme Mat. iij. And also he hath testified yt in the mountaine he hath testified it by the lawe by the prophetes Who so euer then beleueth that he is the sone of god he hath the witnesse of god in him he receyueth the recorde and testimonye of god he is borne of god and in the spirite of his faith he is farre stronger ouer the world and victorious of the worlde Folowe we then good brethren and systers this generation of God of fayth and of baptisme and lo we haue ouercome all thynges that is to wytte the worlde the fleshe and the concupiscences Nowe yf we be rydde and not combred wyth these thynges surely the yuel spirite can haue nothynge in vs but than the spirite of god only may all and doth all in vs. Vnto god then be all thankes honour and glory accordingly Amen On the fyrste sondaye after Ester The Gospell on the fyrst sondaye after Ester daye called lowe sondaye the .xx. chapter of Ihon. Th argument of thys Gospell ☞ How Christ appeareth to hys disciples which were assembled togyther and of theyr cōmission that was gyuen them to preache THe same daye at nyght whyche was the fyrst daye of the Sabbothes whan the dores were shut where the disciples were assembled together for feare of the Iewes came Iesus and stode in the mydde and sayeth vnto them Peace be vnto you And whan he had so sayd he shewed vnto them hys handes and hys syde Then were the disciples glad whā they sawe the Lorde Esa lxi Mat. xi Ioh. xvii Than sayd Iesus to them agayn Peace be vnto you As my father sent me euen so sende I you also And whā he had sayd those wordes he brethed on them and sayeth vnto them Receyue the holy goost Whoseouers synnes ye remytte they are remytted vnto them And whosoeuers synnes ye retayne they are retayned But Thomas one of the twelue whych is called Didimus was not wyth them whan Iesus came The other disciples therfore sayde vnto hym we haue sene the Lorde But he sayde vnto them excepte I se in hys handes the prynte of the nayles and put my fnnger into the prynt of the nayles and thurst my hande into hys syde I wil not beleue And after eyghte dayes agayne hys disciples were wyth in and Thomas wyth them Then came Iesus when the dores were shut and stode in the myddes and sayde peace be vnto youe After that sayde he to Thomas brynge thy fynger hyther and se my handes and reache hyther thy hande and thurste into my syde and be not faythlesse but beleuyng Thomas answered and sayd vnto hym my Lorde and my God Iesus sayth vnto hym Thomas because thou haste sene me thou haste beleued blessed are they that haue not sene and yet haue beleued And many other sygnes truly dyd Iesus in the presence of hys disciples Ioh. xxi whyche are not wrytten in thys boke These are written that ye might beleue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that in beleuynge ye myght haue lyfe thorowe hys name An exhortacion vpon thys Gospel THe Gospell of thys daye good people doth declare vnto vs the appearyng of our Lorde Iesu Christ vnto hys disciples after hys resurrection that is to wyt how he came and shewed hymselfe vnto them the dores beynge shut for feare of the Iues. And here truly he dyd shew the diuersitie of bodyes and what difference there shal be betwene the sensuall bodyes and betwene the spirituall betwene the materiall and corruptible bodyes in thys worlde betwene the spirituall bodyes and incorruptible after the resurrection Trouth it is also that we ought not to suffer any infideles as were the Iues to enter in amonges vs from whome the Apostles dyd shut theyr dores Nowe Iesus beynge in the myddes of them dydde salute them in gyuynge vnto them hys peace wyth whych gretynge or salutation he conforted and confirmed hys disciples myndes that they shulde nothynge doubt of hys resurrectiō whych as the Euangelist Luke wytnesseth they counted but for a dreame Luke xxiiij Wherfore he shewed vnto them hys handes and hys syde perced And by thys shewynge of hys handes and feete Christe openeth two thynges Fyrst by these sygnes he wolde be knowen For in affliction is Christ truly knowen Seconde by them he wolde assure hys disciples of hys glorious resurrection And verely thys shal be the signe of saluation vnto the faithful at the greate daye of iugement and the signe of lamentation and of sorowe vnto the infidels which thā shal se whome they haue percyd The faithfull shal be gretly cōforted in seing him as his disciples were at this tyme. To these disciples I saye he did ones gyue his peace and made them his apostles that is to saye his legates or ambassadours not onely of Iurye but of al the worlde in lyke maner as god the father had sent him and made hym apostle in the worlde And he gaue them the holy gost for to remytte synnes and to pardō in his name and whose synnes so euer they pardoned shuld be forgyuen in heauen The pardone of the apostles assuredly was but a signe of the trewe pardone
to lyfe And furthermore how and in what wyse by hys vprysyng or resurrection he shulde coÌ„mence hys raigne and haue accesse to hys father And assuredly the preachyng and fore shewynge hereof was ryght necessary to the Apostles of Christ to be often made and dryuen into theyr heades For the flesh as Christe sayeth hymselfe is weake and agayne the articles of oure religion be suche that they surmount the sklender capacitie of mans wyt neyther can they easely be perceyued Thys is the cause why Christ lyke a faythful mayster neuer ceaseth to dryue into hys disciples heades the suÌ„me coÌ„tent of our fayth to thintent he myght fully execute thoffice that he came for Now thys is hys sentence and mynde whych he declareth to hys disciples Wythin a lytle whyle O you my louynge scholers and disciples I shal be betrayed vnto the Iues as I haue often tymes heretofore shewed vnto you that I shulde be condemned Mat. xij scourged bobbed and at last nayled to the crosse And for asmuch as euen lyke as Ionas was in the whales bely thre dayes and thre nyghtes I must in lykewyse be buryed in the grounde for the space of thre dayes and thre nyghtes Christes raigne Therfore for a lytle whyle in dede ye shall not se me But agayne after a lytle whyle that is to wyt the thyrde daye after whan I shall ryse agayne ye shall verely se me how be it that shall not be longe for I must awaye to my father and begyn with hym my spirituall raygne Ephe. i. and .iiij. Lo my deare frendes with such wordes Christe teacheth hys apostles what maner thyng his kyngdoÌ„ shuld be how the coÌ„myng is to the same Assuredly the kingdoÌ„ or raigne of Christ is none other thynge thaÌ„ that Christ hath coÌ„quered the world syn death sataÌ„ hell furthermore hath taken of his father all power both in heuen and in erth in such sort as hensforth he is to be the most puissaunt and mighty kinge ouer the mount Sion Psal iiij leading and gouernyng his subiectes with the holy spirite of comforte Into this his kingdom it behoued hym to entre by the crosse by sheding of his mooste precious bloude and by death euen as the prophete Dauid longe before had prophecied of him sayeng he shall drynke of the floude in the waye Psa cix and therefore he shall lyft vp his heade Now this spirituall kingdome was not moche knowne to his apostles For they thought rather that the kingdom of Christ shulde haue ben a worldly and an outwarde kyngdome whych thinge they styl loked for vntyl the spirite was gyuen them whych taught them the knowlege hereof and how they ought to come vnto it and to gette it and how to perseuer and continue in the same If we therfore good brethren and systers be lykewise mynded to entre into thys kingdome and by Christ to vanquysh synne death Satan and hel we must nedes acknowlege and take Christ for oure Lorde and sauiour for our kinge and hyghe bishop fastelye beleuing that we be reconciled and made at one agayne with the father of heuen by his bloude and in suffering and doinge the thinges that Paule speaketh where he sayth i. tim ii If we shall suffer togither with him we shall also reigne with him Seconde An exeÌ„ple of our ignorauÌ„ce we haue here good people an exemple of oure ignoraunce and blyndnesse and that in thapostles For loke how lytle they attayned the mystery of the gospell wythout the holy goost so lytle can we also attayne by oure owne powers to iustice or soule health But harkeÌ„ your selues out of the very texte the rudenes or ignoraunce of the appostles Christ had shewed them that after a litle whyle they shulde not se him agayne after a lytle whyle they shulde se him agayne for he muste go to hys father This must nedes be vnderstande of his death and resurrection and of his spiritual kyngdome What it is to go to the father Ps lxvij For assuredly to go to his father is nothinge elles but to fulfyll all thynges as it is declared in the .v. chapi to the Ephesians and by hys holye gooste to exalte gloryfie saue mankynde or to speake the wordes of the prophete dona dare hominibus to gyue gyftes to men But I praye you how do thapostles vnderstande thys They talke and conferre with themselues what meaneth that he sayeth after a whyle ye shall not se me and agayn after a whyle ye shal se me we knowe not saye they what he speketh Lo my frendes the apostles do here confesse theyr ignoraunce and that they atteyne not to the wordes that he spake albeit he had spokeÌ„ often tymes before of hys crosse deathe and resurrection vnto them Wherfore I do not a lytle wonder what these men meane whyche fyghte so strongly for the defence of theyr owne naturall and carnall power syth they se here so manyfestly that the apostles themselues whyche had Christe so moch conuersaunt amonges them coulde not by theyr owne mere power before the holy gooste came vnto them vnderstande the spirituall kyngdome of Christe So that it manifestly appeareth that while they woll be doctours and teachers of other they be them selues full of all blyndenes and ignoraunce Thys therfore is the summe and effecte of thys place that the flesh in suche thynges as perteine to iustification can do no good onles the holy gost beyng communitate by the word be receiued and had For as the prophete Ieremy recordeth Ier. xiij they shal be taught of God and not of themselues Thyrdly Christe doth preuent his apostles when he espyed them not to atteine his wordes and that they wold aske him the meanyng of the same sayeng vnto them in thys wise Of thys ye do question amonges your selues that I sayd a litle and ye shall not see me and agayne a lytle and ye shall se me Verely verely I saye vnto you ye shall wepe and lamente but the worlde shal reioyce Ye shal sorow but your sorowe shal be turned into ioye Lo how Christ tendereth his apostles he shaketh them not of for their rudenes and ignoraunce but moste gentlye instructeth them shewinge them howe his format wordes ought to be vnderstand sayenge vnto them in thys wise Ye shall wepe and be sory but why bycause ye shall see youre Lorde and mayster apprehended and takeÌ„ nayled vpon the crosse and put to death Crosse ê‘secutioÌ„ Then shall calamitie and sorow begynne and principally this shall trouble you that the world shal reioyce at your aduersitie and your maysters aduersitie And euen as Christ had spoken so it came to passe concernyng both hys owne crosse affliction and heuines also his apostles For do ye thynke yt a lytle crosse vnto hym when that he was reuiled and vpbrayded of the Iues sayeng vnto hym let God delyuer hym if he woll haue hym I omytte and passe ouer with
trouth it is expedieÌ„t for you that I go awaye For yf I go not awaye that coÌ„forter wyl not come vnto you But yf I departe I wyl sende hym vnto you And when he is come he wyl rebuke the worlde of synne and of ryghtousnesse and of iudgemente Of synne because they beleue not on me Of ryghtousnes because I go to my father and ye shall se me no more Of iudgemente because the prynce of thys world is iudged alredy I haue yet many thynges to saye vnto youe but ye cannot beare them away nowe Howbeit when he is com whych is the spirite of trouth he wyl leade you into al trouth He shal not speake of himselfe but what so euer he shall heare that shall he speake and he wyll shewe you thynges to come He shall glorifie me for he shall receaue of myne and shall shewe vnto you Why tholy goost was promysed THe cheife parte of this daye gospell good brethren and sistres consistethe in the declaration of the office of the holy ghost which for that purposis sente of Christe that he myghte reuelate and open the spirituall kingdome of Christ and myght detect the blyndnes of the worlde concernynge this kingdome For the spirituall kingdome of Christ bicause it consysteth in feyth is not perceyued of the worlde no more then is his iustice and beatitude forasmoch as the worlde bicause it is ledde with reason requireth an other kingdome an other iustice and consequently an other blesse euen such as be most agreable to the iugement of reason and may be seen wyth the carnall eyen and groped withe the fleshely handes Suche thinges bicause reason alloweth them they flatter the worlde and they be lettes and impedimentes that the true spirituall raigne or kyngdome of Christe can neuer be rightly vnderstanded of the worlde And assuredly the disciples dyd here gayly represente the worlde for they also dyd as yet after a carnall sorte trust and hope vpon the carnall presence of Christe as thoughe he had come into the worlde to set vp some carnal raigne or Empire that all the worlde shulde haue loked vpon and sene ☜ Wherfore when they harde Christ saye he wolde go agayne to hys father from whom he was sent their hartes were cold and replenished wyth care and heuynesse As though they shulde saye vnto hym We trusted that thou woldeste haue commenced and set vp here a galant and triumphante kyngdome and now thou sayst that thou wolt departe hence to thy father Assuredly my brethren all we be euen thus naturally affected and disposed before the sendinge of the holy ghost that we styl dreame vpon some carnall thynge concernynge Christes kyngdome But when the holy ghoost come he shall teache vs that the kingdom of Christ consisteth in feyth and spirite and not in an outward dominion or worldly power TheÌ„ also shall our iustice shrynke and quake which we feyne we haue before the lightenyng of the holy ghost and our iugement shall appere wherby accordinge to reason we iuge of the reigne of Christe Finally also our synnes shal be disclosed concernynge our incredulitie or misbelefe whyche we had towardes Chryst the only Sauiour when we se that those be synnes whych before we iuged for rightuousnes as for exemple the affiaunce and truste in our workes and suche lyke And leste a man shulde feyne to himselfe some peculiar vision and illumination I wot not what ye shal vnderstand that the holy gost commeth when the worde is preached whych worde no doubte is the worke of the holy ghost This holy ghost doth lyghten vs and leadeth vs to the knowlege of gods worde But now I go c. Now therfore sayth Christe I go my wey to him that sent me to thinteÌ„t I mought come agayne and begynne a newe and spirituall raigne in reuerting by death And notwithstanding that I saye vnto you that I muste departe and go my wayes from you ye aske me not whether I go As who shulde saye yf ye were not blynded with the care of the flesshe and soughte not for worldly thynges ye wolde vndoubtedly haue asked me whether I go syth I tolde you I must departe Neuertheles bycause I haue sayd such thynges vnto you your hartes be full of sorowe not so much bycause of my departure as bycause ye se that ye shall lacke those outwarde and worldly pleasures and promocions whych ye hoped to haue receyued in my kyngdome Expediâ— vobis Howbeit I tel you the trouth it is expedient for you that I go my waye as who shulde saye your opinioÌ„ concernynge my raigne is false and cleane wronge But I wole shewe you the treuth why I muste departe partly bycause ye maye vnderstand what maner kyngdome my kingdome is and partly what ye ought to loke for in it I saye it is expedient and profitable for you that I departe Brethren here ye see that all thinges whych Christ doth he doth the same for our vtilite and profyte insomoche that euen his departure out of thys worlde that is to saye his deathe was so profytable to vs that without it we shulde neuer haue bene delyuered oute of oure damnable state of euerlastynge death He addeth For yf I go not awaye that comforter shall not come vnto you The profyte of Christes death Lo good people in this place is conteyned the great vtilitie and profyte of the death and departure of Christ vnto hys father For therfore departed he out of this world bicause he wolde begynne a spirituall kyngdome which neuertheles could not helpe yf he hadde not also sente the holy ghost For where there shulde be a spirituall kyngdome and we yet carnall we coulde in no wise vnderstande nor ê‘ceiueit No more then euen at thys daye we vnderstaÌ„d it but by the helpe and ayde of the holy gooste Wherefore let vs remembre that Christ hath for our cause sent the holy goost whych myght leade vs into all truth that is to wite whych might disclose and open vnto vs oure synnes that do naturally stycke in vs and yet neuertheles we take them for no synnes whyche holy ghost also myght bewrey our ryghtuousnes to be befor god more vnrightuousnes finally whych myght shewe the deuell to be iuged by the ouerture and openyng of the gospell all whyche thinges noman shuld haue vnderstanded had not Christ sente his holy ghost Actu i. whom in this place he surely promiseth shulde come and he came in dede accordinge to hys promise vpon the daye of Pentecoste as it is redde in the first chapter of the Actes of the Apostles Now the holy ghost is called a comforter whych in the Greake is called Paracletus of hys effecte or office forasmuche as his office and feate is euen froÌ„ tyme to tyme so longe as this spirituall kyngdome shall endure Paracletus quid fit to comforte mens consciences in this world When this comforter commeth saith Christ he shal rebuke the worlde of synne of rightuousnes and of
iugemente Thre lettes Here ye se good people thre lettes or obstacles whych by thoffice of tholy ghost muste be moued awey to thintente thys spirituall kyngdome mighte be vnderstande that is to saye synne whych is not to beleue in god this thinge noman doth vnderstande by his propre nature and yet onles it be vnderstande noman can haue accesse to the kingdome of Christ The seconde is the ignoraunce of the true iustice whych pleaseth god and this also can no man take nor perform of himselfe The third is iudgement wheras we vnderstand not naturally that the deuell is iuged by the disclosing of the gospell These thre lettes and impedimentes be roted naturally in euery mans mynde whych no man can vnderstande of himselfe or take them awaye by hys owne power Wherfore to the doinge hereof is the holy gost promysed in this gospell Now for asmoch as the kingdome of Christe is heare conuersaunt amonge men which be synners and whyche of nature can do nought but synne but loue their own rightuousenes and iudge after their owne faschion of the gospell therfore the holy ghost in executinge his office doth not moue the to departe out of this worlde that thou mayste haue no occasion to synne neyther woll he that ciuile iustice or humane iudgemente shulde not be executed in thys worlde but he teacheth the truly to knowe what thynge synne is For euery man of hys owne brayne by hys owne power wytte feyneth thys or that to be synne as it hath been sufficiently proued vnder the kyngdome of the Byshoppe of Rome But when the holy gooste cometh and repryueth vs by gods worde our owne imaginacions fantasyes destroyed then we know that to be synne whyche no man iudged before to be synne So we knowe nowe that it is synne yf a mā beleue not in only Christe concernynge iustice whyche thynge before the receyuynge of the holy gooste none of vs all knewe In semblable wyse it is to be spoken of ryghtousnes and iudgement whych two thynges we vtterly cōsydered not before the openyng of the gospell wherby the holy gooste reproueth the worlde But leste ye shuld suspecte thys interpretacion to be not grounded of scripture harken howe Christe hymselfe expouneth thys thynge Of sinne The holy gooste he sayeth shall rebuke the worlde of synne Why because they beleue not sayth Christ on me Loo howe Christ expouneth hymselfe what he meaneth by synne that is to witte incredulitie or mysbeleue towardes hym whyche only thynge doth condemne men lyke as on the contrary parte the onlye belefe in Christe saueth ☞ The papistes haue wrested thys texte as they do al other to the mysbeleue of the Turkes Sarasynes and such people as be farre from vs but they oughte to remembre that in thys behalfe they do synne worse then the Turkes forasmoch as they wold be counted Christianes and yet in the meane season they labour to be made rightouse and iuste before god by theyr owne workes without fayth in Chryste Of thys abhominable synne the worlde knoweth nothynge at all Of ryghtuosnesse shall the holy goost rebuke the worlde Why because sayeth Christe I go to my father and ye shall se me no more That is to saye bicause I shall begynne my newe reigne wherin an other maner of iustice then ye ymagine must be required and shal be of valour before god Of iudgement the holy ghost shall rebuke the worlde why bycause sayeth Christe the Prince of this worlde is iudged alredy Iugemēt And he calleth iugemēt the blyndnes of mā wherby the worlde alloweth naturallye the reygne and the workes of Satan for the worlde hath a corrupt iudgement by Adams fall so that it seeth not what thinges god aloweth and what not Adhuc multa habeo But sayth Christ I haue yet many thynges to speake vnto you meanyng of his crosse and of hys glory but by reason of your weakenes and infirmytie ye are not able to beare them nowe As who shuld saye ye be yet carnall and therfore ye perceiue not the thinges that be of the spirite But whē the spirite of trouth that is the holy ghost shall come he shall leade you into all trouth The spirite shall teache you thinges spirituall He shall transforme you and of carnall persones shall make you goostly For surely because ye be yet carnall ye cānot perfytly perceyue the scriptures concernynge my death and gloriouse resurrection whych is to be fulfilled for your redēptions sake Here ye se playnly good people that thys place maketh nothynge at al for the confirmation of the papisticall traditiōs but rather agaynst them For I praye you what is thys trouth that the holy ghost shall teache you Mannes traditions no not so In them is no certayntie It is Christ and hys worde that is the only trouth Wherfore he shal teache only Christ and the worde of god for this is all trouthe Chrysostom For as Chrysostome sayth the gospel conteyneth al together And the office sayeth he of a good preacher is truely to prosecute all that is in hys commission not to chaunge ☜ put to or take away any thyng But this the Bishoppes of Rome in tymes paste haue done and yet at this day do presume to do Wherfore they are no interpretours but deprauers of scripture no vicars of Christe but of the deuell They speake of their owne heddes their own inuentions and dreames wheras the holy ghost whyche here is promysed by Christe vnto vs shall speake nothyng of hymselfe but what so euer he shall heare that shall he speake that is to saye he shall speake none other worde or gospel only he shal open and declare the worde that is alredy spoken by Christ This do not the papistes for they expoūde not Christes worde but they bring another word besides Christes word Thys spirite of trouth shall also shewe of thynges to come that is to wit of the spreading abrode of Christes gospel throughout the hole world euen vnto the Gentilles or hethē persons aswell as to the Iewes whom yet the Iues despysed and toke for refuse and abiecte persōs and counted them selues onely for Gods electe and chosen This holy ghoste shall glorifie Christe that is he shall expoune him he shall make him clearer and shall auaunce and set him forthe But the byshop of Rome doth cleane contrary for he obscureth darkeneth Christe and his doctryne This holy ghost sayeth Christ shall receyue of myne and shall shewe vnto you And al that the father of heuē hath are myn This is to saye good people that the holy spirite of god wherwyth euery christen man must be renewed according to Christes communication wyth Nicodemus shall breath or inspire nothing into the mindes of christian folke but that whych Christes gospell and worde wylleth Ioh. iij. He teacheth no newe thing Wherfore my frendes if we woll be true christians not only in name but also in dede let vs put of oure
the gage and the ernest The thyrde cause that the holy goost is sente is that in temptation he myght comforte vs and preserue vs from desperacion and therfore he is called paracletus that is to say a comforter Now therfore yf ye couete to knowe who what the holy goost is whych is called the thyrde persone in trinitie consyder wel the forsayd offices of hym and ye shal ryghtly answere A description of the holy goost The holy goost is God equall wyth the father and sonne whych was to thys intent sent of them both that he shulde more clearly expoune the diuine wyll of the father whych was openly publisshed to the worlde by Christ and that he shulde put men in remembraunce of the same and confirme it in theyr hartes to thintent they myght boldlye confesse it But let vs now approche to the texte of thys present lesson Whan the daye of Pentecoste Pentecost That is to saye the fyftye daye from Ester was a fulfyllyng whych was one of thre solemne feastes in whych all the Iues were wont to be assembled accordynge to the lawe of Moses in Deuteromye in the .xvi. chapter whych feast we christen men do obserue wyth an other lybertie for an other respecte then it was kept of the Iues. For we do solemnize kepe thys daye onely in memorie of the speciall and wonderfull sendynge of the holy gooste as on thys daye Whan thys feast I saye of the Iewes called Pentecost otherwyse named the feast of wekes was in the complyshynge and doynge the Apostles were all wyth one accorde together in one place as Christ had commaunded them before to do Actu ij that they shuld not departe from Ierusalem but that they shuld awayte for the promyse of the father And sodenly there came a soūde from heauē as it had been the comynge of a myghtie wynde and it fylled all the house where they sate My frendes thys soden commynge of the holy goost doth admonyshe vs of the maner or forme of hys commynge whych is not humane nor chaūceth after mans fashion but as the similitude declareth in the thyrd chapter of Ihon. The spirite or wynde bloweth where it woll and thou hearest hys voyce but thou knowest not whence it cometh nor whether it goeth Now for as much as Christ applyeth thys similitude and sayth So is euery one that is borne of the spirite therfore ye must also vnderstand here that the holy goost in dede commeth vnto vs but how or after what sorte it passeth mans wyt and capacitie whyche neyther can comprehende the maner of hys commynge neyther yet the qualitie of hys accion albeit of the accion presence of the holy goost we be made certayne euen as we may be certayne of the blowynge of the wynde Finally it is here to be consydered in what wyse the holy goost is to be receyued of vs. ☞ Surely he is not to be receyued simpliciter as a doue that muste be miraculously sent from heauen as certayne heretykes at thys daye do thynke neyther is he to be taken as a vertue of God procedynge from the father and from the sonne as Campanus thynketh neyther yet in a prescribed and diuised forme as the papistes haue prefixed hym before all theyr counsaylles were they neuer so contrary to gods worde but he is to be receyued as very god of the selfe same essencie and godhed wyth the father and sonne It foloweth in the texte And there appeared vnto them clouen tonges lyke as they had bene of fyre and sat vpon ech one of them Here good people ye maye learne the effectes or frutes of the holy goostes comminge for he cōmeth not in vayne but maketh dispertite or clouen tōges and fyry he maketh men to speake wyth other tonges that is to saye he regendreth them he createth in them new motions he assureth them of the word that they heare he openeth theyr mouthes and maketh them boldly and wythout feare to confesse the trouth And al they that is to wyt the Apostles that were assēbled together for thys purpose were forthwyth and sodenly al at ones replete and fylled with the holy goost in such straunge sorte that by and by they beganne to speake wyth sondry and newe tonges Dyuerse tonges not wyth olde tonges and such as the tonge of Moses the lawspeaker is discribed to be that is to wyt harde and vnpleasaunt as it is wrytten in the fourth chapter of Exodus And here maye ye note the dyuersitie and difference of the lawe and gospel Moses tonge was sengle and but one ☞ for one certayne people But the tonges of the gospell be soundry whereby is sygnifyed the lybertie of the gospel They spake therfore wyth sundry tōges euen as the spirite gaue them vtteraunce The holy goost gaue not all to all Ro. xij i. cor xi but as Paule sayth accordynge to the measure of fayth as it semeth good vnto hym It foloweth in the texte There were dwellynge at Ierusalem Iewes deuoute men out of euery nation of them that are vnder the heauen and so forth Here be contayned the cōmune and vulgare effectes whych be wont to folowe the workes of the holy goost These effectes be stoynynge wonderyng and they declare vnto vs the power of the holy gooste in them whych were moued wyth the workes of the holy goost For the reste of people were rather more and more offended with the workes of the holy gooste than kyndled to imbrace them They sayd then how happeneth thys that we heare euerye one in hys owne tonge whych be of sundry nations speake the great wonders and hygh workes of God Magnalia Dei that is to saye the thynges that God hath wrought in hys Christe For to thys intent surely was the holy goost come euen to expoūde and declare Christ to the disciples and no doubt he exhorted them frely and boldlye to preache hym vnto the hole worlde whych thynge afterwarde they manfully executed as the sermon of Peter immediatly after made doth declare shewe Surely the holy goost sent from heauen make men frely to confesse the Euangelicall trouth before kynges and prynces whych thynge the fleshe otherwyse is not able to do For it is to muche afrayed that it can wyllyngly and gladly suffer the hatred of thys worlde whych is knyt and ioyned wyth thys confession Fynally ye shall vnderstande that the holy goost was gyuen to the Apostles in a vysible forme But it is now gyuen to the chosen and electe persons inuisiblye only by the worde Wherfore good christen people I hartely exhorte you that ye woll earnestly imbrace and loue gods worde and not mocke deryde it as certayne of the Iues here sayd that the apostles were dronken and full of new wyne Neyther do I exhorte you onely to reade and prayse the worde but also to worke after it to declare by youre dedes and procedynges that ye haue an vnfayned and ryght fayth
for the redēpcion of mankynde Thys his preachynge he dyd also confirme wyth myracles For as the texte also declareth the vncleane spirites cryenge wyth loude voyce came out of many that were possessed of them And many takē wyth palfeis and many that halted were healed Now the people gaue great hede to the thynges whych Philip spake And assone as they gaue credence to Philips preachynge of the kyngdome of God and of the name of Iesu Christe they were baptised both mē and wemen Here ye se good people how the Samaritanes whych were Hethen persons yea and such persons as the Iues whyche were the peculiar and proper people of god toke for very contempte and vyle persons receyued the gospell of Christ forthwyth at the preachynge of saynt Philip and were by and by baptised Thus farforth are the Samaritanes brought Now the lection red in the church thys day goeth further and sayth that when the Apostles whyche were gathered togyther at Ierusalem herde say that the Samaritanes had receyued the worde of God they sent vnto thē Peter and Iohn whiche when they were come downe from the hyghe cytie of Ierusalem thyther vnto thē they prayed for them to thintent they myght receiue the holy ghoste For as yet the holy ghoste was not come on none of thē onlye they were baptized in the name of Christ Iesu Thā layde these two Apostles theyr handes vpon the Samaritans and anone they receyued the holy ghost This is the history redde in the church as thys daye But now my frendes what frute and profyte shal we beare away of this lesson What is here to be gathered Nothyng Yes truly for there is nothynge wrytten Ro. xv sayeth S. Paule but it is wryten for our learnynge that by pacience and confort of scriptures we shuld haue hope ☞ Fyrst therfore ye shall note howe glad the Apostles were to heare that these Samaritans were turned to the Gospell of Christe and they were not only glad but also carefull for them lest they myght happen to go backe agayne to theyr olde baguage and blyndnes And therfore in all hast they sent these two Apostles Peter and Iohn to confirme and strengthen theyr faith Here we be taught what the office of true good Apostles yea of all good Christen men is For we ought in lykewyse to be carefull for oure brethren that they maye be broughte to the perfeyte knowlege of gods worde And namely suche as call them selfes Apostolicall persons and Apostles fellowes successours as the byshoppes of Rome do oughte in this behalfe to folow thexēple of thapostles charite But they do cleane contrary they rather plucke mē from the Gospell then allure them vnto it Seconde ye shall note that before the resurrection of Christe when as yet the Iues and Gentyles were not ioyned togyther by all one fayth Math. x the Apostels were forbydden to entre into the cyties of the Samaritanes But after the resurrection whē they were bydden for the spredynge abrode of the gospell to go into all partes of the worlde then that former commaundemente whiche was but temporall and whyche dyd serue but for a tyme was taken awaye and cessed Thyrdly in this historye ye shall marke that the Samaritanes receyued forthwyth the holy ghoste assone as they beleued and were baptized For assuredly true and perfecte baptisme can not be without the holy ghost Furthermore it is not possible that fayth can be in that person where the holy spirite of God dothe not inhabite as many places aswell of scripture as of auncient fathers do wytnesse Yea S. Austin affirmeth playnly in his boke de presentia dei Austine that the holy ghost dothe dwell and inhabite in infauntes or childrē that be baptized Wherfore how muche more is he resident and abydynge in persons of age and discretion which haue fayth and be baptised So it is no doute but these Samaritanes at the preachyng of S. Philip receiued the holy ghost excepte perchaunce ye woll saye that S. Philippes preachynge had lesse vertue and efficaciem it then the preachynges of thother Apostles had whyche in no wyse is to be graunted Questiō But peraduenture ye woll meruayle then howe it is that it followeth in the historye red in the Churche this daye that after the Samaritanes had receyued the worde of God the holy Ghost as yet was not come on none of thē And therfore the Apostles euē for that purpose sent Peter and Iohan whiche prayed for them that they myght receyue the holy Ghoste My frendes what shal we say to this Dyd the Samaritanes receyue goddes worde dyd they beleue were they baptised and yet were they voyde of the holy ghost Howe cā this be Chryste hym selfe sayeth he that beleueth is baptysed shall be saued mar xvi But onles a man be renued with the holy ghost he can not be saued as the same Chryst also testifyeth in the thyrde Chapter of Iohn Wherfore it must nedes folowe that the Samaritaynes had receyued the holy ghost forasmuch as true baptisme can not be without the holy Ghost Howe than sayth S. Luke here that the holy ghost was not yet come on the Samarytanes To this doubte I answere in fewe wordes The solution that this texte in this place that the holy Ghost was not yet come vpon them is to be vnderstande not of the substaūce of the spirite or holy Ghoste ☞ but of those manifest and notable gyftes of the holy Ghost They had the holy Ghost to comforte them and to lede them to al trueth necessary to their saluacion but they had him not yet to do miracles and speake straunge tonges as in the primatyue Churche they had for the confirmacion of Christes doctrine Neyther is it at this day necessarye the Gospell being nowe stablyshed that men shuld haue suche wonderfull gyftes of the spirite Wherfore good chrysten people I exhorte you and in the name of Christ I requyre you that accordynge to the exemple of these Samaritanes here ye wol laye downe your supersticion and blyndnes of harte wherin ye haue wandered and wyth glad mindes receyue the worde of God accordynge to youre profession and promyse whych ye made at the fount stone and put on Christ renouncynge the worlde the flesh and the deuell wyth stedfast and earnest fayth And no doubt ye shal be endowed wyth the holy goost who in all your trouble and afflictions shall cōforte you and directe you in youre waye to heauenwarde where is our dwellynge place prepared wyth the father sonne and holy goost To whome be all glorye wythout ende Amen The gospell on the thyrde daye of Pentecost The .x. chapter of Ihon. Th argument ☞ Christ is the true shepeherde IEsus sayd vnto hys disciples Verely verely I say vnto you he that entreth not in by the dore into the shepefolde but clymmeth vp some other way the same is a thefe and a murtherer But he that entereth in by the dore is the shepherd of
the deuell in Christes power and assystence shall we no fayle haue the victory and ouer come them all Yf we desyre to be delyuered of thys transytory world and to be present wyth God to syt at hys table let vs a whyle tary in hope vntyll the Lorde call vs and we shall not doubt but be caryed thyther wyth his holy angels wyth hym to dwel for euer He hath not prepared thys supper of euerlastynge lyfe of hys fre mercy onely but hath also as frely prepared all necessarye helpes and meanes for vs to vse to the better attaynynge of thys supper Onely let vs be ware by the exemples of the Iues that we be not vnkynde to so mercyfull a callynge leste we be refused as they were We be not more in gods fauour than they were They were gods elect people we were not so They were the chyldren of the house we were foryners and straungers and none of the householde They were the natural braūches we are but grafted in theyr stockes and receyued in theyr rowmes We ought to feare the more that we shall not be spared yf we shewe vnkyndnes as they dyd Ye haue herd what were the lettes wherby the Iewes were drawen abacke from theyr saluation One had bought a farme and was so holly bente to improue and enlarge that to beare rule and raygne in the worlde that he hadde no leasure nor space to gyue eare to the feastmakers callynge and to come to hys supper An other was so busely set about hys oxen and other possession couetously gatherynge lucre and gaynes to enrych hymselfe that he chose rather to lose the commoditie of that delicate supper then to lose hys gaynes An other excused hymselfe that he had maryed a wyfe and therfore answered he that he coulde not come He desyred not to be excused as the other two dyd but sayde flatlye that he coulde not come so harde it is for hym to come to Christ whych hath hys harte set vpō the flateryng vanities and pleasures of the worlde Let vs take hede my frendes that we be not so ouercome of these euel affections before rehersed that we folowe not them and refuse to come to the supper of euerlastyng lyfe wherevnto we be called Lu. xiiij Let vs call to mynde what our sauiour Christe sayeth excepte we renounce all that we possesse we cā not be hys disciples It is not euell to haue rule and dominion in the worlde but so to set our hartes vpon our dignities and preeminence that we shal for the sauegard of them forsake the truth and peruerte iustice that is abhominable before God So to ensue honoure and worshyp that we shall labour by falshode and sedition by secrete conspiracye to gette it that is abominable before God and wylbe surely reuenged i. pet v for God euer hateth the proude in harte he setteth hymselfe a parte agaynst them Psalm xxxvi euer to depose such Though sayeth Dauid the vngodlye shryne hymselfe neuer so hye yet I sawe hym whan he was exalted aboue the Cedre trees brought downe agayne to the grounde I sought hys rowme and place but he was wasted and vanyshed awaye lyke the smoke Kepe therfore byddeth Dauid innocency and beholde equitie for the godly man hath euer permanent issue It is not euell to haue ryches and possessiōs to vse the course of lawfull occupyenge but so to ensue our gaynes that we shall not spare by ryght or wronge to gette them that is wyckednes before God So to possesse ryches that vnmercyfully we shall kepe them and not reliefe the poore with our superfluities as Christ cōmaundeth vs to be stewardes of hys goodes cōmytted in our trust Math. xxv that is the thynge which prouoketh hym to displeasure to pronoūce that it is very harde for a rych man to entre in the kyngdome of heauen mat xix more easy for a camell to go thorowe a nedles eye Of all myschyfe is couetyse the roote and foūtayne sayeth S. Paule i. tim vi sayeth that they whych desyre to be rych fall into temptacion and snare of the deuell and to dyuerse lustes hurtfull and foolyshe whyche drowne men in death and destruction It is that affection sayeth saynte Paule whyche make the suers therof to erre frō theyr fayth They can neuer haue leasure to wayte vpon Christ and his worde that folowe thys affection saye and cal Christ what ye wyl they haue no lust nor desyre to come vnto hym And the reason of thys thynge he openeth in an other place where he sayeth ii co iiij that the Gospell is not receyued of these worldlye men bycause the God of thys worlde hath blynded theyr vnderstandynge leste the lyght of the gospel shuld shyne appeare vnto thē As these .ij. euell affections I meane the desyre of dominion and authoritie and the insaciable desyre of ryches be greate impedimentes and lettes that hynder many a man from saluation so is the affection to pleasures of thys worlde as great a let in whome it raygneth to cause them set lytel by the callynge of God to thys great feast of the glorye to come This affection is so subtle that where the other two can not alter and occupye the mynde of many men yet of thys they be ouercome A beastly affection to be led wyth the volupties of thys worlde and therfore Christ compareth them to swyne walowynge in the myer of beastly and carnal lyfe and wolde haue no perles cast before them for they can none otherwyse do but trede them vnder foote despyse them Let vs therfore good people take good aduisement let vs consyder of what gentlenes and mercy we be called Let vs consyder whereto we be called not to payne and mysery but to feastynge and bankettyng in the kyngdome of heauen We prouoked not God to call vs by our merytes which were nothynge but blyndnes and Idolatry but he of hys mercy preuented vs only to haue the prayse of our saluacion which wyl come at hys calling Let vs cōsider how great a zele God beareth to our helth whych semeth to be angrye whan we refuse to come at hys callynge not only calleth vs and leaueth vs there but hath prouided all thynges to helpe vs to come thyther whervnto we be called hys worde we haue hys sacramētes and hys holy spirite workynge in our hartes we haue to be present wyth vs to strength vs to come Yf we come we be saued and shal be blessed for euer if we com not but make our excuses we deceiue our selues and for the loue of vayne and transytory delytes and pleasures lose the lyfe euerlastynge And what shall it auayle to wynne all the worlde lose our soules Yf we refuse to come to thys feast let vs not loke to be bydden to any other for it is the last feast and none other to be loked for after No better messanger could he sende to vs to moue vs to come to thys feast
Finally forasmuch as Christ sayeth that the angels in heauen do ioye vpon such as repent we be here taught that repentaunce is a worke very acceptable and pleasynge to God Wherfore my frendes let vs not be lykened to these religiouse proude and presumptuouse Pharisees scribes whych murmured and grudged at the tēder harte and kyndnes of our Sauiour Christ which iustifyed themselues despysynge all other in comparison of them bycause of theyr owne tradicions and obseruaunces therfore thoughte they had no nede of Christ But let vs humbly and thankfully at the preachynge of Christes holy worde whyche it hathe pleased hym now in these last dayes to disclose and open agayne vnto vs to repente vs of oure wandrynge out of the ryght waye And thā doubtles the angels in heauen shall haue more ioye ouer vs thā ouer all those which were counted moost holy perfyte persons in the syght of the worlde Whych angels also at oure departure out of thys vale of mysery shal cary vp our soules into heuen where we shall haue the moost ful fruition of all ioye wyth Christe our Lorde To whome wyth the father and holy goost be all glorye Amen The Epistle on the .iiij. sondaye after trinitie The .viij. chapter to the Romaynes Th argument ☞ In thys epistle we be comforted to beare aduersitie well in worth seynge it is the waye to euerlastynge glorye BRethren I suppose that the afflictions of thys lyfe are not worthy of the glory whych shal be shewed vpon vs. For the feruent desyre of the creature abydeth lokynge whan the sonnes of god shall appeare bycause the creature is subdued to vanitie agaynst the wyll therof but for hys wyll whych hath subdued the same in hope For the same creature shal be deliuered from the bondage of corrupcion into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God For we know that euery creature groneth wyth vs also and trauayleth in payne euen vnto thys tyme. Not only it but we also which haue the fyrst frutes of the spirite mourne in our selues also and wayte for the adoption of the chyldrē of god euen the delyueraunce of our bodye THe holy Apostle saynt Paule welbeloued brethren and systers consyderyng the state of true christen men whych lyue godly in thys worlde to be full of aduersities and troubles whych be offred vnto them both by the worlde Psalm xxxiij the fleshe and the deuel and knowynge the weake power of frayle men to be farre vnable to stande stedfastly in them onles they be armed fensed with the armoure of gods worde exhorteth vs therfore in thys epistle by dyuerse reasons to pacience and sufferaūce and comforteth vs wyth the great ioye and glorye that shal be declared vnto vs in the worlde to come He affirmeth vnto vs that what so euer we can suffer in thys worlde is but shorte and transytory but the ioye that we shall receyue is durable and euerlastynge Howe great so euer the payne be of oure aduersitie that we suffer here I thynke it nothynge sayeth saynt Paule to the glorye that shall appeare vnto vs which is so great and infinite that it can not be comprehended of any mans vnderstandynge i. cor ij Esa lxiiij It farre passeth the eye of man to se thorowe it or the eare to heare the greatnes therof or the harte of man to vnderstande the glorye that God hath prepared for them that loue hym which are content after the exemple of hys welbeloued son Christ to suffer and to beare theyr crosse wyth good harte and wyll Let vs therfore behold not so much the grefe and despyte of persecution and despleasures of thys worlde as the bryghtnes and excellency of the glorye that we shal be in whyche although we se it not wyth our corporall eye yet wyth the eye of our fayth in the myrrour of goddes worde we se it much more clerly and shall more surely enioye it thā we se enioye those thynges whyche be vnder oure corporall syght Yf the greatnes of aduersitie feareth vs let vs call to mynde that whan we suffer innocently we suffer wyth Christ and Christ wyth vs. Yf we be of the body by true fayth than maye we be sure that the heade beareth parte wyth vs and helpeth vs in our aduersitie In hys power assistence we shall ouercome Of our selfe we be to weake but in hys power sayeth saynt Paule in whom is my cōforte phil iiij I can do all thynges Let noman thynke it impossible to beare paciently the losse of name of goodes of wyfe and chyldren to beare the great assaultes of the deuels temptacions for to ouercome the stronge vnruly affections of our corrupte nature and thervpon in cowardnes to gyue ouer and suffer our selues to be led vnder theyr captiuitie nay there is nothynge to harde to be performed of a christian man in whome the spirite of God is abydynge Ioh. xvi Take good hart sayeth our Sauiour and captaine Christ I haue ouercome the worlde and al these for you It is not impossible for you to resyst to haue the victory for fayth subdueth all thynges and hath the victory of al thynges that be agaynst you for al thynges be possible to fayth Mat. ix Thys is the comforte that a christian man maye haue to consyder that it is not hys aduersitie alone whyche he suffreth but Christ hys heade and captayne suffereth wyth hym As he sayd to Saul whā he persecuted the christian men Act. ix Saul Saul why doest thou persecute me It ought to be no straunge thynge to vs to suffer i. tess iij Heb. xij For saynt Paul sayeth that we be ordeyned for thys vse and purpose In chastisement doth god nurture his chyldren whome he loueth Yf our lyfe be in chastisement and aduersitie and we lyue in paciēce we may haue good hope that as we be made lyke to Christe in trouble and affliction so shall we be lyke to hym in glorye The waye to pleasure is by aduersitie to welth by infirmitie to glorye by rebuke and shame to ryches euerlastyng by transitory pouertie After none other sorte walked our sauiour Christ in thys worlde Math. ◠It were vnmete the disciple to be aboue the mayster It were not mete the souldioure to be more delicatly handled than hys captayne Ro. viij Who can requyre of God to be spared frō hys crosse where god spared not hys owne deare and welbeloued sonne Christ He suffred al reproffes and afflictions suffered to the death of the crosse and yet deserued it not Phil. ij why than shuld not we that be synners content our selues to suffer whether God ordeyneth aduersitie to fall vpon vs for our synnes to thintent to purge vs of them or whether he wolde haue vs suffer for the tryall of oure faytht hat so by oure pacience we myght glorifye hys name and edify our neyghbour by our exemple Let vs blisse our selues in the name of the
out of our soules the hole body and lompe of synne viciouse nature wherin we be borne In dede so to mortifye synne that we shulde fele no motions therof so loÌ„ge as we be in the body it can not be but yet by goddes holy spirite yf we take good hede we maye so lyue that we shall not serue synne and be led wylfully vnder the dominion therof Wherfore they whyche so loue theyr euell affections that they stryue not agaynst them to subdue them to God wante goddes spirite the gage of theyr saluation and so serue synne as theyr lorde and mayster and therfore be vnder the daunger of synne and deserue the stypende therof whych is euerlastyng deth Rom. vi but he that with good hart and wyll studyeth to resyst and fyght against synne and the motions therof and laboureth to kyll it dayly more and more is now iustifyed from synne that is to saye delyuered from the daunger and penaltye therof Rom. ix For saynt Paule sayeth playnly to the Romaynes Yf ye mortifye the dedes of the fleshe and lustes of the corruptible body ye shal lyue in this epistle he sayeth the same that yf we be folowers of Christ in his death that is in dyeng to synne we beleue certaynly that we shall lyue wyth hym Christe ones was rysen froÌ„ death and dyeth nomore death shall nomore haue power of hym for in that he dyed sayeth oure epistle he dyed ones for all and by hys ones dyenge he destroyed synne for euer He dyed ones to synne and after he was ones deade he was neuer assauted of synne after but quyte discharged of it and nowe lyueth to God and euermore shall he enioye the lyfe whych he is now attayned vnto and shall neuer dye agayne Euen so suppose you youre selues deade to synne that is to saye thynke youre selues so to be discharged from synne that Christe hath destroyed the power therof for you as ye conforme your selfe to the lyfe of vertue In baptysme ye dye to synne and promyse to lyue to ryghtuousnes and therfore yf ye kepe youre promyse you be deade to synne and synne is vtterly deade in you so that ye folowe not the lustes therof Euen so the lyfe whych you now lyue is to God and to hys pleasure Ye lyue now by your fayth in ryghtuousnes which commeth by Iesus Christ our Lorde not of any workes of ryghtuousnes whyche we haue done sayeth S. Paule lest we shulde glorye in our selfe for thys lyfe of grace wherin we lyue before God TituÌ„ iij But of his mercy hath he saued vs thorow the fouÌ„tayne of baptysme wherin we be new borne agayne and renewed by the holy goost to lyue thys newe lyfe acceptable before god And as by the mercy of our Lorde we be set in thys lyfe of grace and strenghthed by hys gracyouse spirite to contynue vs therin no more to retorne and fall to synne and to the lustes therof euen so is the lyfe of glory which we now tary for in hope the gyfte of almyghty God thorow the merites and purchasynge of Christe Iesu Rom. vi i. cor i that all myghte be of God and no fleshe shulde glorye in his syght but he that wyll glory let hym glorye in the Lorde Nowe my frendes these thynges afore rehersed wel consydered let vs diligently laboure wyth oure selues to mortifye and subdue the euell desyres of our fleshe Yf we wyll haue any parte of Christes death and resurrection let vs kepe batayl wyth the flesh and beware we be not subdued therof We do boast of Christ in vayne yf we serue the desyre of synne For it is not ynough to say that we be christen men and that we pertayne to Christe i. Io. ij for he that sayeth he abyde in Christ as wryteth saynt Ihon must in such wyse walke in hys lyfe as Christ walked in hys for it is not he sayeth our Sauiour whyche sayeth to me Lorde Mat. xij Lorde that shal enter into the kyngdome of heauen but he that doeth the wyll of my father whych is in heauen How much then are they deceyued whych in such wyse do fansye of Christ and hys death that they care not into what synne they fall continue in only trustyng vaynly vpon the merytes of the same where here saynt Paule affirmeth that we shall neuer lyue wyth Christ excepte we mortifye our euyll affections and desyres and lyue in ryghtuousnes Heb. xi For though God requyreth fayth as the fyrste entre to come to Christe yet he requyreth also that out of thys fayth shulde springe good and vertuouse lyuyng Fyrst he sayeth in the gospel of saynt Marke Marc. i. Repent and beleue the Gospell It is no fayth that hath not repentaunce It is a vayne repentaunce wherin be espyed no workes of repentaunce Nowe the workes of true repentaunce be feare and drede of God hatred of synne purpose of amendemente diligence to watch agaynst the euell motions of syn Surely ther is no fayth where the spirite of God is not And there is not the spirite of God but the spirite of the deuell where such frutes be raygnyng as be adultery fornication wantonnes hatred stryfe enuye wrath coÌ„tention sedition partestakyng Gal. v. murther dronkennes and excesse The doers of these yf they repent not shall neuer be inheritours with Christ how much so euer they boast of Christ And agaynst these must we dayly fight to subdue them yf we wil be of Christes flocke For as saynt Hierom wryteth Ne semel putemus ardorem fidei posse sufficere Hiero. suê‘ mathe x. semper crux portanda est vt semper Christum amare doceamur Ita apostolus portabat iugiter carnis mortificationem in corpore suo quod qui facit omni tempore semper orat semper poenitet c. Let vs not thinke that the feruentnesse of fayth can ones suffyse euermore must the crosse be borne that so we maye be taught euer to loue Christ Thus dyd the apostle beare coÌ„tinually the mortification of the fleshe in hys body August ad Iuli. lib. iiij cap. iij whych thynge he that doth dothe praye alwaye and repent alwaye Also saint Austine sayeth Whosoeuer is wythout the fayth which worketh by charitie though he seme to repent doynge it but faynedly is an euel tree and of such a tree what sayeth saynt Ihon baptyst Mat. iij. Euery tree whych bryngeth not forth good frute shal be cut vp and cast into the fyer Let vs my frendes all vayne presumptions and false trustes cast awaye labour to performe our promyse whych we made at the fount stone let vs I saye renounce the deuell and hys suggestions and serue Christ our Lorde and mayster by the true workes of ryghtuousnes Let vs watch daylye agaynst oure euell dispositions that we maye lyke obedient chyldren of God glorifye God in oure lyfe i. Ioh. iij In so doynge we shall persuade oure owne hartes that we pertayne to hym
saye the newe testament differrynge from the olde in asmuch as in the one the old man is hedged in wyth the straytes of feare but in the other the new man walketh at large in the wydenes of charitie For the prohibicion of sinne bycause it is a lawe vndoubtedly increaseth the desyre of sinnynge whych is not quenched but by the cōtrary desyre of doynge well where fayth worketh by loue Hythervnto I haue reported the wordes of S. Austine whych doth full well expounde and declare vnto vs the sentence meanynge of the Apostle Paule in thys epistle whose only mynde and purpose is to prouoke vs to loue esteme and folowe the holy and syncere gospell by the whych the holy goost is gyuē vnto vs and by the whych we be newly borne agayne and lyuynge in spirite or goost and no more after a fleshly sorte God gyue vs the grace that it maye be shedde ouer all the worlde as the foure floddes of paradyse as a see flowynge as floddes rysynge in lyfe eternal that euery body may drinke plentefully of eternall lyfe to thys ende purpose that we may altogether prayse and glorifye God euerlastyngly by our Lorde Iesu Christ To whome be al honour Amen The Gospel on the .xij. sonday after Trinitie The .vij. Chapter of Marke Th argument ☞ The healynge of the deafe and dombe man IEsus departed agayne from the coastes of Tyre and Sidon and came vnto the see of Galile thorowe the myddes of the coastes of the ten cyties And they brought vnto hym one that was deaffe and hadde an impedimente in hys speche and they prayed hym to put hys hande vpon hym And whā he had taken him asyde from the people he put his fyngers into hys eares and dyd spyt and touched his tonge and loked vp to heauen and syghed and sayd vnto hym Ephata that is to saye be opened And strayght waye hys eares were opened and the strynge of hys tonge was loused and spake plaine And he commaunded them that they shulde tell no man But the more he forbad them so muche the more a great deale they published sayeng he hath done all thynges wel he hath made both the deafe to heare and the dombe to speake THe Gospell redde in the church thys day good christen people teacheth vs that after that our sauiour Christ had priuely stolen away out of Iewry and had amonges the Tyrians Sidonians and Cananites secretlye sowen there the sede of his holy worde he reflected hys iourney and came agayne to the lake of Galilee takynge in hys waye the region of Decapoly where before that tyme he had healed a man possessed of a deuell Whan he was come hyther they brought vnto hym a ryght myserable spectacle that is to saye a man both deafe and dombe For he muste nedes be dombe whyche is of nature deafe ☞ But he is more myserably deafe whych hath no mete eares to heare gods word he is worse dōbe whych hath no tonge to confesse hys fylthynes and gods mercy By hearynge of the fayth is the begynnynge of health and saluation and by confession of the mouth is the perfection of helth The Iues albeit they dayly herde Iesus speakyng yet hearynge they herde not for asmuch as accordynge to thexemple of the serpent called the Aspik whyche stoppeth her eares agaynst the voyce of the wyse inchaunter The propertie of the Aspike they wolde not beleue such thynges as they herde And therfore they had a tonge to backbyte and detracte but they had no tōge to the holsome professiō of faith But what shal this sely poore mā do which hath no tonge wherewyth he maye craue hys soule helth of the Lorde whych hath no eares wherby he maye perceyue the voyce of Iesus whych is wonte to rayse euen the deade to lyfe They that had tonges and eares do helpe the sely mā they brynge him to Iesus They besech hym of hys tēder mercy that he woll vouchsaue to laye hys hande vpon hym Thus it pleaseth the moost mercyfull Lorde that euen other mens fayth shuld helpe synners Other mens fayth otherwhyles helpeth In lykewyse the hethen person whych is about to leaue his hethen lyfe to become christianed in which state he is called of the aūcient fathers of the church catechumenus is brought to Iesus he hath stynted to do euel he hath stinted to speake euel but he hath not yet lerned to do wel he hath not yet lerned to cōfesse the goodnes of the gospel For how cā he do thys yf Iesus lay not hys hāde vpō hym Mē labour in vayne onles the secrete power and vertue of Christ be put therto It was an easy thynge for the Lorde euen wyth the bare worde of hys mouth to gyue helth to the deafe and dombe man but thys forme of thynges is purposed and set forth vnto vs. For lyke as for the moost parte it is a parable that Christ speaketh so oftentymes it is a parable that he doth He toke the man by the hāde led hym asyde frō the multitude of people He is saufe whom Iesus taketh vp whō he leadeth away frō the hurley burly of thys worlde He put hys fyngers into hys eares and wyth hys spyttell touched hys tonge Assuredly my frendes ☜ helth and saluacion is then at hande whan our sauioure Christe Iesus by the vertue of hys spirite The allegorie whych is the fynger of God vouchsaueth to touch the eares of oure mynde and as often as wyth the spyttell of the heauenly wysedome whych is hymselfe commynge out from the mouth of the father aboue he vouchsaueth to touche the tonge of oure mynde to thintent that those thynges myght sauour vnto vs which belōge to God and be godly For wythout thys humour is made no taste mans spyttell yf it be infected hath a peruerse iudgement Thys spettell not onely louseth the tonge but also openeth the eyen of him that is borne blynde as often as beynge myxed with earth it be layde vpon the eyes wheras on the contraryesyde ☞ the spettel of philosophers and of pharisees do rather put out the eyes The same thynge in maner do also the teachers of the gospell They take men and leade them awaye from the multitude whā out of the broade way wherin the moost parte of people do walke into theyr owne damnacion they cal them backe and brynge them agayne to the felowship of the lytle flocke They put theyr fyngers into theyr eares whan by callynge them awaye from the vanities of thys worlde they sturre them to receyue the heauenly doctrine They laye spettell vpon theyr tōges whan they exhorte them to professe the euangelicall fayth they laye theyr handes vpon them whā they gyue the holy goost to such as be baptised by whome theyr synnes be wyped awaye and innocencie is conferred But all these thynges the curate or byshop doth outwardlye in vayne yf Christe worke not wythin and sende out hys godly vertue frō heauen
lazers or lepers whome at that tyme our Lorde clensed of theyr leprye and of hys large mercye made them hole But what sygnifye these .x. lazers or lepers vnto vs Truly in the lawe of Moses God had forbydden that none shulde kepe company with them whych were infected and sycke with bodely leprye but commaunded that they shulde be put forth from amonges them and from the company of the rest lest they shulde infecte and pollute other as it is redde in the boke of Numeri where it is wryttē in this wyse Num. v The Lord god spake to Moses sayenge Commaunde the chyldren of Israell that they put out from theyr tentes all lazars or lepers But certaynly we ought a great deale more to take hede that we do not communicate nor kepe company wyth such as be lazars spiritually The spiritual lepry is infidelitie heresie and ignoraunce of God For lyke as the bodely leprye doth corrupt al the body euen so doth infidelitie corrupt all the soule and by the stynkynge breath therof that is to say by the wordes and conuersacion of suche as be corrupted therwith be other corrupted the company wyth them accordynge to that sayenge Corrumpūt bonos more 's colloquia praua that is to saye euell communicacions do corrupt good maners Wherfore al such ought to be eschued and fled from as lepers and lazars they must be excōmunicate and put out of the assemble and congregacion of christen people Yet thys notwythstandynge there is no sycknes no maladie no lepry so greuous but that the moost excellent phisician and surgeon our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus both can heale and wyll heale yf he be faithfully sought and called vpon as by exemple is well shewed in thys gospell But I say it is our partes to seke and call vpon hym it is our offyce to go and mete Iesu Christ yf we woll be cured We must crye afarre of after hym we muste wyth depe lowlynes and humilitie of harte pray vnto hym and say Iesus Sauioure and mayster haue mercy on vs take pytie and compassion ouer vs. By this meanes after that we haue ones offred and presented our selues vnto the prestes whych haue authoritie and power of God for to discerne and iudge ☜ accordyng vnto the scripture betwene the lepry and not lepry that is to saye betwene heresye and veritie betwene vice and vertue and accordynge vnto the scripture to assoyle as saynt Paule dyd assoyle a synner of whych is made mencion in the seconde epistle vnto the Corinthians ij cor ij we shal be receyued agayne into the nomber of the faythful euen into the flocke of Iesu Christ But after that we shal be assoyled of God in trouth and of men in sygnes we muste yet beware that we be not ingrate churlysh nor vnthankfull to God as the .ix. lazars were whyche dyd not retourne for to yeld thankes and prayses to Christ and for to gyue glorye vnto god for the great benefite and goodnes that they had receyued of hym Let vs be lyke the lazar Samaritane which fygured the christen gētyls and let vs saye that whych the spirite of God sayeth by the prophete Dauid in the .cij. psalme My soule blesse thou the Lorde God and do not forget all hys rewardes whych maketh hole all thyne iniquities all thy syckenesses Thys let vs do to thintent oure Lorde maye semblably saye vnto euery one of vs. Ryse vp and go thy waye thy true ernest and catholyke fayth hath preserued and made the hole Hense forth se thou synne nomore walke nomore after the flesh but after the spirite Yf we thus do my frēdes doubt we not but we shall haue the rewarde of euer lastynge blesse whych is endles ioye in the heauenly Hierusalem wyth the father sonne and holy goost To whome be all glorie and imperie in infinita sesecula Amen The Epistle on the .xv. sondaye after Trinitie The .v. and .vi. chapter to the Galathians Th argument ☞ An exhortacion to good workes BRethren yf we lyue in the spirite let vs walke in the spirite Let vs not be desyrous of vayne glorye prouokynge one another enuyenge one an other Brethren yf a man also be taken in any faute ye whyche are spirituall helpe to amende hymin the spirite of mekenes consyderynge thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Beare ye one anothers burthen and so fulfyll the lawe of Christ For yf any man seme to hymselfe that he is somwhat whan in dede he is nothynge the same deceyueth hys owne mynde Let euery man proue hys owne worke and then shall he haue reioysynge onely in hys owne selfe and not in another For euery man shall beare hys owne burthen Let hym that is taught in the worde minister vnto hym that teacheth hym in al good thynges Be not deceyued God is not mocked For what so euer a man soweth that shall he al so reape For he that soweth in hys fleshe shall of the fleshe reape corrupcion But he that soweth in the spirite shall of the spirite reape lyfe euerlastyng Let vs not be wery of well doynge For whan the tyme is come we shall reape wythout werynes While we haue therfore tyme let vs do good vnto all men and specially vnto them whych are of the housholde of fayth WElbeloued frendes in our Lorde Iesu Christ ye shal vnderstande that our Sauiour in the Gospell of saynt Mattheu sayeth mat viij that euery tree is knowen by hys frute for a good tree beareth good frute but an euell tree bryngeth forth euell frute Therfore the holy Apostle of God saynt Paul doth in thys epistle admonyshe vs christen folke that yf we be good trees we ought to bringe forth good frutes and yf we lyue in the spirite as christē mē ought to lyue that we must walke also in spirite For surely it is not ynough for vs to be called christen folke onles we do also the dedes and workes of christen folke It is not ynough for the to saye I haue receyued the holy goost or I haue fayth ☜ yf thou shewest not worthy workes and frutes of the spirite Nowe one of the fyrst and principall frutes of the spirite is loue and brotherly supportacion or bearynge of one another whych thynge saynt Paule doth admonysh vs here of that we shulde kepe where he sayeth Let vs not be desyrous of vayne glorye c. Certes it is not possible for a man or woman that is vayne gloriouse and that loueth to be auaunced and praysed of the worlde eyther to supporte or to forbeare much an other man for he wyll alwayes couet to be herde afore all other and to be obeyed in all places wheresoeuer he goeth or rydeth Certaynly my frendes vayneglorie is an appetyte or luste of all lustes the moost daūgerouse and the moost subtyle and secretest that may be ymagined in so much that those persones whych be estemed for moost spiritual most holy moost godly be oftentymes infected therwyth Let vs sayeth Paule not
please Iesu Christ the glorie of the father the glorie of the angels and of men to abyde in you by feruent faith in your hartes founded and rooted in charitie to thyntente that you maye knowe and vnderstande the incomprehensible graces whych by him be gyuen vnto vs the largenesse and length of the same for the earth is full of the mercy of the Loroe God sayeth the prophete Dauid and the hyghnesse and depthnesse Psalm xxxij for they do perse the heauens and the hylles He whych is descended is he which hath ascended aboue al the heauens sayeth saint Paul Eph. liij To thintent also that ye shall know the great charitie of Iesu Christ toward vs the whych knowlege is more to be estemed than all the science of the worlde and that you shulde be replenyshed in all aboundaunce wyth the graces of God In thys epistle saynt Paule declareth in short conclusions the perfection of the christen lyfe vnto the whych we ought to breath and to sygh He doth not praye that god shulde gyue them much temporall goodes for to lyue at theyr ease but he desyreth and prayeth that they maye haue strength for to endure and to beare with him the crosse of Iesu Christ For all the lyfe of a christen mā is to endure In the conclusion of the epistle wyth profounde harte and wyth great spirite he yeldeth graces louynge thankes vnto God sayenge Vnto him whych is able for to gyue vs more than we can demaunde or thynke accordynge vnto the myght the whych puissantly strongly worketh and laboureth in vs vnto hym be yelden all glorie by all the church by the meanes of hys sonne Iesu Christ For euen as by him al grace is gyuē vs from the father so it must nedes be that by hym whych is the begynnynge and the ende all glorie be vnto hym rendered Then my brethren let vs not discourage our selues of the worde of God of the doctrine of the gospell for any tribulation or worldly vexacion that may happē vnto any of them by which it shal haue pleased God that they shuld bear it yf it be hys pleasure to make them to beare hys crosse vnto them whych shall beare it but so much the more let vs be founded stedfast and ferme rooted in fayth hope and charitie and we shall knowe the incōprehensible graces of God And he that surmounteth all myght shall delyuer vs from al euell and shall leade vs vnto hys glorye vnto hys heauēly kyngdome where in eternall ioye we shall yelde perpetuall graces and prayses vnto the father of heuen by our Lorde Iesu Christ To whome c. The Gospel on the .xvi. sonday after Trinitie The .vij. Chapter of Luke Th argument ☞ Christ rayseth a deade man to lyfe agayne IEsus wente into a cytie whyche is called Naim and many of hys disciples went wyth hym and much people Whan he came nye to the gate of the cytie beholde there was a deade man caryed out whych was the only sonne of hys mother and she was a wedowe and much people of the cytie was wyth her And whan the Lorde sawe her he had cōpassion on her and said vnto her wepe not And he came nye and touched the coffyn and they that bare hym stode styll And be said Yonge man I say vnto the aryse And he that was deade sat vp and began to speake And he delyuered hym to hys mother And there came a feare on them all And they gaue the glorie vnto God sayenge A greate prophete is rysen vp amonge vs and god hath vysited his people THe thynge good people whych is moost agreable vnto god and that whyche he demaundeth requyreth of vs principally is to beleue hys word as saynt Paule saythin the .xi. chapter of hys epistle to the Hebrues It is impossible to please God with out fayth For thys cause all the myracles whyche were at any tyme done aswel by Iesu Christ in erth as by hym in hys members it hath not ben for to attribute the honoure vnto hys members or that hys members hath done myracles but for to approue the worde of God and for to manyfest hys glorie and myght to thintent that he shulde be honoured and reuerenced of euery body and in euery place as the prophete sayeth Lorde god all the earth doth worship the. For thys cause oure Lorde hath raysed vp from death to lyfe the wedowes sonne of the whych is made mention in the gospel of thys day He hath here raised one from bodely death for to make vs to beleue that he hath the power also for to rayse vs agayne from spirituall death And also he shall rayse vs vp agayne bodely at the day of dome As he said vnto Martha I am the resurrection and lyfe who so beleueth in me he shall not dye eternally Ioh. xi All they therfore whych do not lyue accordynge vnto the spirite whych folowe the olde lyfe of Adam whyche accomplish the desyres concupiscences and workes of the flesh of the whych was spoken in the epistle of the last sondaye they be deade spiritually For who that hath not the holy goost he hath no lyfe he doth not belonge vnto Iesu Christ whych is the lyfe Yf any hath not the spirite of Christ he is not Christes Ro. viij He is borne and conducted of euell spirites to the pytte of hell Yf Iesu Christ do not come quyckely for to touche hym wyth hys hande the whyche sygnifyeth hys great puissaunce and myght conioyned wyth hys worde Yf he do not speake and touch lyuely the harte it is impossible that the sayd creatures shulde haue power to ryse agayne or that they shulde euer chaunge from the death of the soule vnto newnes of lyfe and state of grace For surely so longe as we be in deadly synne and vnder the thraldome and subiection of the fende so longe we be as deade persons S. Ambrose And therfore sayeth saynt Ambrose We lye deade in secrete whan eyther the fyre of vnreasonable lust brenneth vs or the colde humoure drowneth and as it were wyth a certayne slouthfulnesse of the bodye the sharpenesse of the mynde is accombred and ouerwhelmed in which case we can not ryse out of our drousye slomber but by Christe And yf sayeth thys holy doctour saynt Ambrose An allegorie it be an heuye greuouse synne whych thou thy selfe arte not able to wash awaye wyth the teares of thy penaunce and repentaunce let thy mother the holy church wepe for the. Let the people also be assistente vnto her And fortwyth thou shalt ryse agayne oute of the coffyn or beere and shalte begynne to speake wyth an other lyfe and all that heare it shall feare shal be corrected by thexemple of one They shal also prayse God Bede whych hath gyuē vs so great remedies to eschue death And here sayeth Bede is the errour of the heretiques called Nouatians confounded whych whyle they go about to destroye the
clensyng of penitent persons do denye that our mother the church wepynge for the spiritual death of her chyldren ought to be comforted by hope of restoryng agayne to lyfe Whyche damnable opinion the wycked Anabaptistes at thys daye haue renewed in dyuers places of christendome whych denye that they that fall into deadly synne after baptisme can by due penaunce or any other meanes come agayne to the state of grace whome we praye God to brynge out of theyr foule heresye Let vs than good people instauntly humbly praye to almyghty God the father of heuen that it wolde please hym so ofte as we fall into synne to touch and speake to vs so vertuous and pythy wordes that maye quicken vs and rayse vs from death to lyfe in yeldynge and restorynge vs lyuyng truly in spirite vnto our mother whych is the churche of faythfull men and that we may speake continually the worde of prayse and of grace vnto God in suche wyse that by occasion of vs our neyghbours maye be edifyed and exhorted for to prayse glorifye god wyth vs knowynge that God hath vysited his people by Iesu Christe Vnto whome apperteyneth glorie and honoure eternally Amen The Epistle on the .xvij. sonday after Trinitie The .iiij. chapter to the Ephesians Th argument ☞ Of the vnitie of fayth that there be no dissension amonges christen people BRethren I whych am a presoner of the lordes exhorte you that ye walke worthy of the vocacion wherwyth ye are called wyth all lowlynes and mekenesse wyth humblenesse of mynde forbearinge one another thorow loue and be diligent to kepe the vnitie of the spirite thorowe the bonde of peace beynge one bodye and one spirite euen as ye are called in one hope of youre callynge Let there be but one Lorde one fayth one baptisme one God and father of all whych is aboue all and thorow all and in you all MY brethren and systers in Iesu Christe let vs consyder the benignitie louynge kyndnes and swetnesse of the holy goost the whych doth not commaūde vs wyth rygoure and sharpnesse as men do often but doth desyre vs louyngly by his great messanger the apostle saynt Paule that we shuld walke worthely in the vocacion or callynge vnto which we be callyd Of thys vocacion is spoken in the fyrste chapter of the fyrst epistle vnto the Corinthias where he sayeth God is true and faythfull by whome you are called into the company of hys sonne our Lorde Iesu Christ Thys companyenge with Iesu Christ is the christen and catholyke churche the whyche is called a bodye wherof he is the heade and we be his members in case we be conducted and leade by the holy goost For he is the sturrer the lyfe and the conductour of all the catholyke churche for to make it to walke worthely wyth the heade in all humilitie mekenesse and swetnesse He doth teache vs also by true loue and charitie in all pacience to supporte beare the faultes and infirmities of our neyghbours And saynt Paule induceth vs to do thys in the .vi. chapter of the epistle vnto the Galathians Beare the burthens one of another and so ye shall accomplysh the lawe of Christ The whych doth admonysh vs aboue al thynges that we shulde endeuoure our selues to kepe the vnitie of the spirite of fayth in a bonde of peace and cōcorde that is to wyte in sauourynge in fayth one selfe thynge And what is that that we shulde all sauour That we be one body one spirite and all called into one hope of saluation by Iesu Christ That ther is one Lord one fayth one baptisme one God and father of all whych is aboue al and ouer all thynges and in vs al whych is he that is blessed in the worlde of worldes Thys is the fayth in the whych we ought to be vnied and knytte with the holy goost and to haue stedfast peace concorde The whych thynges yf we haue we shal be conducted by thys holy goost in all graces and vertues for to blesse laude and glorifye thys ryght hygh and souerayne father by our Lorde Iesu Christ vnto glorie of al the Trinitie wythout ende Amen The gospell on the .xvij. sonday after Trinitie The xiiij chapter of Luke Th argument ☞ Christ healeth on the sabboth daye and commended humilitie vnto vs. WHan Iesus went into the house of one of the chefe pharisees to eate breade on a Sabboth daye and they watched hym And behold ther was a certayne man before hym whych had the dropsy And Iesus answered and spake vnto the lawyers and pharisees sayenge Is it lawfull to heale vpon the sabboth daye And they helde theyr peace And he toke hym and healed hym and let hym go and answered them sayenge whych of you shall haue an asse or an oxe fallen into a pytte and wyll not strayght waye pull hym out on the sabboth daye And they coulde not answere hym agayne to these thynges He put forth also a similitude to the gestes whan he marked how they preased to the hyghest roumes and sayd vnto them Whan thou art bydden of any man to a weddinge syt not downe in the hyest roume lest a more honorable man thā thou be bydden of hym and he that bad hym and the come and saye to the gyue thys man roume and thou than begynne wyth shame to take the lowest rowme But rather whan thou art bydden go and syt in the lowest rowme that whan he that bad the commeth he may saye vnto the frende syt vp hyer Thā shalt thou haue worshyp in the presence of them that syt at meate with the For whosoeuer exalteth hymselfe shal be brought lowe And he that humbleth hymselfe shal be exalted AT the begynnynge of our gospell good christē people Iesu Christ doth cōmende vnto vs syngularly loue and charitie towarde al men whan we se that so familiarly he haūted and frequented wyth them that were hys enemyes and hys euell wyllers that also he dyd eate and drynke wyth them for to haue occasion to teache them and to conuerte them vnto God hys father as the auncient doctour Cyrillus noteth Cyrillus And here be rebuked and checked those whych haue hatred malyce rancor agaynst theyr christen brethren and do not vouchsaufe to company wyth them nor also to speake vnto them whan that by the diuine commaundement of almyghtye God they be bounde for to to remytte and to pardon al iniuries math vi and ought by all meanes they can for to recōcile them or els God shall neuer be reconciled wyth them Consequently Iesu Christe doth instructe vs that we ought at al tymes to accomplysh and do the workes of mercy towardes our brethren and neyghbours And specially that the sondaye be not in any wyse violated by the sayd workes of charitie The whych he shewed well whan that vpon the sabboth day he dyd heale the poore mā of the dropsie Which as holy doctours do expoune is truely the fygure of all humane nature The
hym a question temptynge hym and sayeng Mayster whych is the great commaūdement in the lawe Iesus sayd vnto hym Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God wyth all thy harte and wyth al thy mynde Thys is the fyrst and great cōmaundement And the seconde is lyke vnto it Thou shalte loue thyne neyghbour as thy selfe In these two cōmaūdementes hange all the lawe and the prophetes Whyle the pharisees were gathered together Iesus asked them sayenge what thynke ye of Christ Whose sonne is he They sayd vnto hym the sōne of Dauid He sayde vnto them howe then doth Dauid in spirite cal hym Lorde sayeng The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde syt thou on my ryght hande tyll I make thyne enemyes a footestoole Yf Dauid than call hym Lorde howe is he then hys sonne And no man was able to answere hym any thynge neyther durst any man from that day forth aske hym any mo questions THe Gospell red in the churche thys daye good christen audiēce doth reherse vnto vs how the pharisees Hierom hearynge that Iesus Christ had confounded the Saducees whych as saynt Hierome noteth were of contrarye opinions wythin themselues and as it were enemyes one to another yet they come ioyne together agaynst Christe to thintent as Ihon Chrysostome sayeth they myghte ouercome hym by multitude Chrysostome whome they coulde not cōuince wyth reasons And so sayeth he they confessed themselues to be naked of the trouth whych armed thēselues with multitude They come than all together And one amonge them a doctour of the lawe speakynge for all the reste to thintent yf that one ouercame they myght al seme to haue the vpperhande in tēptynge our Lorde Iesu Christ dyd put thys question vnto hym sayenge Mayster whyche is the greatest commaundement of the lawe Here you maye se what fashions these false foxes and ypocrites had Fyrste they called Iesu Christe mayster whose disciple for all that they had no desyre to be And they dyd demaunde hym of the greatest commaundement as Chrysostome sayeth which neuer had accomplished the least Chrysostome but rather by theyr cursed and auaricious constitucions had transgressed all the lawe of God And they thought that it was ynough for to dispute the one agaynst the other by pryde and vanitie for they dyd not desyre but all only to be sene and praysed of men yet for all thys the swete Sauiour desyrynge theyr saluation doth gyue them here true and sounde doctrine and healthfull correction answerynge them mekely that they ought to loue God with all theyr thought the whych they dyd not and theyr neyghbour as themselues but they dyd cleane contrarye For he whych was theyr God theyr neyghbour in as much as he was man they wold put him to death In whych he shewed them to be synners ypocrites that is to saye counterfayted holy transgressours of all the lawe and of the prophetes And accordynge vnto saynt Marke in the .xij. chapter they wyst not what to answere but theyr owne doctoure gaue sentence agaynst them sayenge Mayster in truth thou hast sayd well For there is one only god and ther is none other but he And to loue hym wyth all the harte wyth all the vnderstandyng wyth all the soule and with all the strength and the neyghbour as hymselfe is a greater thynge then al the brentofferynges and sacrifices made vnto God Here maye you se howe he hymselfe gyueth iudgement agaynst the couetousnes of the scribes pharisees whych loued so well the sacrifices for the profyte that came therof vnto them And on the contrary syde he approueth the answere of Iesu Christ the whych they thought to haue interrupted and checked Thus it appeareth that the craftye be taken in theyr craftynes and that ther is no coūsell against god And then fynally our Lorde demaunded of the pharisees beynge all there together whose sonne Christ was And forbycause they were carnall they knewe nothynge in Christ in Messias but flesh and they answered hym that he was the sonne of Dauid And then oure Lorde wolde shewe them and teache theyr saluatiō For it was not ynough for to beleue that he was a man cōmen of royall bloude but also it must be beleued that he was God vnied vnto humayne nature for to make the redemption of men And therfore he sheweth them by the wytnesse of Dauid selfe that he is God Psal xix where Dauid sayeth in spirite The Lorde god hath sayd vnto my Lorde Syt on my ryght hande vnto the tyme that I put thyne enemyes a foote stoole to thy feete Dauid calleth Christ hys Lorde syttynge on the ryghte hande of God whych is to vnderstande as the auncient doctour S. Remigius other doth expoune it not that God is corporall that he shulde haue a ryght or left syde but to syt on the ryghte hande of God Remigius is to remayne in the same honoure and dignitie egall wyth the father so that herby he cōfesseth that he is God And this the pharisees vnderstode not to be sayd of Christe but they were those whych the spirite of god calleth the enemyes of Christe for to be put vnder hys feete Than my brethren let vs not tempt Iesu Christ Let vs beleue that the greatest and the fyrst commaundement is to loue God wyth all our hart wyth all our thought and wyth all our soule that he is true God and that he is true mā And we shall be of the nombre of the chosen for to laude the heauenly father and our Lorde Iesu Christ syttyng on hys ryght hande Vnto the whyche wyth the holy goost be glorie wythout ende The Epistle on the .xix. sonday after Trinitie The .iiij. chapter to the Ephesians Th argument ☞ How we ought to put of our olde Adam and put on the newe BRethren be ye renewed in the spirite of youre mynde and to put on that newe man whych after God is shapen in ryghtuousnes and true holynes Wherfore put away lienge speake euery mā trouth vnto hys neyghbour for as much as we are members one of another Be angry and synne not let not the Sonne go downe vpon your wrath neyther gyue place vnto the backbyter Let hym that stole steale no more but let hym rather labour with hys handes the thynge which is good that he may gyue vnto hym that nedeth MY welbeloued frendes in our sauiour Christ ye shall vnderstande that in the texte immediatly goynge before thys epistle of thys present daye the Apostle doth admonysh vs for to leaue the olde mā that is to say our fyrst natiuitie or byrth by the which we be borne chyldren of the yre and wrath of God we be fulfylled wyth synnes wyth euel desyres and wyth concupiscences the whych woll turne vs vnto corrupcion and eternall death After in our epistle he exhorteth vs that we shuld be renewed not accordynge vnto the body but in the spirite of our soule For it is the spirite of God that wyl inhabyte there and